Hide
by Ayesha Jen
Summary: Mizar is injured and Sam does not know where Daniel is.  Jack is desperate to get to his team.  Final chapter and epilogue.  Basically everyone gets a mention.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**

Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Stargate (II) Productions, Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret productions, and Gekko productions. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author. This story may not be posted elsewhere without the consent of the author.

Jack could see the stars twinkling beyond the branches of the trees. The clouds were breaking up. Under other circumstances he would have been relieved that the rain had stopped, but the stars foretold the reappearance of the two moons that this planet boasted. He knew they were big enough and bright enough to light him up like a Roman candle. He hugged the ground, hiding in the undergrowth while he listened intently for the sound of movement.

The ground was water logged, water had even managed to seep under him during the downpour. It continued to slowly soak into his clothes and he was wet to his skin. He could feel the cold beginning to eat at his bones, but he knew better than to move while he was unsure of who was in the darkness.

After a while he began to see lights flickering. They were still distant, the sounds from the searchers lost in the trees. _'There you are,' _he thought to himself. They were still searching for him but the couple of hundred yards distance made him feel a little safer_. 'All I have to do is avoid the lights,'_ he told himself. Turning around carefully, he began crawling silently away. They had managed to cut him off from the Stargate. There was no way he could see of getting past them safely. _'My GDO is damaged, if I can't find the others its going to be a little difficult to get home. Now where can I gate to instead of the SGC?'_ He wondered briefly if Daniel and the members of SG2 had managed to reach the Stargate. He hoped they had but needed to concentrate on finding somewhere safe to hide.

Jack climbed to his feet beside a large tree and peered around at the distant lights. He needed a place to hole-up until they gave up looking for him. _'I also need somewhere to dry out.'_ It was still pretty dark, which was useful to hide him but made it difficult to see his options. The tree trunk was much larger than he first realized. He began to feel his way around it and realized it would give an old Redwood competition in the size stakes. The tree's bark was a lot rougher than anything he'd felt before. Full of cracks and fissures. In fact the fissures were quite a size in places. Then a gap appeared under his hand, much larger than the others. It took him a moment to realize that this huge tree had a hollow in its base. He slid inside thinking it would at least take him out of the rain.

There was enough room to sit down and lean back against the inside of the trunk. It was dry and warm. Jack didn't question why it should be so much warmer than outside. A strange sweet smell emanated from the tree but he felt fine, just a little sleepy. The creaking noise the tree was making was different, that worried him. It reminded him of a story from his childhood. _'What was it now, oh yes The Lord of the Rings. Old man Willow,'_ he thought as he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

He woke to the sound of voices and realized he'd slept through the night. Light streamed in from above and he looked around expecting to see the fissure he had squeezed through. There was no sign of an exit.

A startled look appeared on his face as he wondered how the gap could have disappeared. Then he heard the voices again, the guttural accent of the locals penetrated to his hiding place.

"He cannot have gone much further. This forest is deadly, if he went beyond this point, then he is dead," the voice said. Jack could not hear the reply.

He stood up inside the trunk, _'I'm sure there wasn't enough room to stand up in here.'_

_'Shush,' _he heard a voice inside his head say. _'You think to much and they will hear you.'_

Jack sat down again sudden and hard, a look of astonishment appearing on his face.

"Who is that?"

A silence greeted his question and he wondered if he had finally flipped. He sat there looking at the wall of wood surrounding him. His knife was probably sharp enough to dig himself out given time, but he felt disinclined to attempt it. Beside the noise could attract attention _'and I can't see how they could find me in here, when I don't know how I got in here.'_

_'You crawled in,'_ the quiet voice in his head told him.

"Who are you?" Jack asked again.

_'I am he in whom you sought sanctuary.'_

"Huh!"

_'I am what you think of as the tree.'_

Jack decided he hadn't awoken yet and pinched himself.

"Oww!"

_'Why did you do that?'_

"I want to wake up. Where I come from only fruit loops talk to trees."

_'Fruit loops must be the higher form of life,' _it responded and Jack could have sworn it sounded amused.

"Why do the locals think this forest is deadly?" Jack asked as he decided to concentrate on his problem of getting home.

_'Does this mean that you are a fruit loop?' _the voice asked him.

"As loopy as they come I guess," Jack said.

He finally decided if he was dreaming or delirious he may as well have fun. If not perhaps this strange life form could help him. He didn't know how a stationary life form, intelligent or not, would be able to help him, but at least he had a friend.

_'You want to be my friend? Then this means that you no longer wish to dig a hole in me.'_

"No I don't want to dig a hole in you. Can you let me out of here?"

_'Yes, but not yet. Our enemies are still close.'_

"Your enemies?" Jack asked.

_'They tried to destroy us._ _Now we have an understanding, if they come beyond the perimeter we will destroy them. None has entered these forests since I was a young 'tree'.' _

"Oh," Jack murmured, "it looks like I've found the perfect place to hide."

_'You are not from this world.'_

"No, no… I came through the Stargate," Jack told the tree as he settled down to make the most of his unexpected safety.

_'Yes I know, the travel circle the Ancients built.'_

"Why should I be surprised," Jack murmured, "everyone knows who they are except us."

_'You're friends made it back through the circle.'_

"How do you know that?"

This time Jack was positive he could hear the tree grin as it replied.

_'I talk to the trees.'_

Jack grinned back and responded, "I suppose that makes you a fruit loop."

Jack leaned back satisfied and closed his eyes. He was asleep in a very short space of time. He dreamed of baseball and Charlie, for a while everything was good. The strange sweet smell drifted around him, calming his dreams and keeping the nightmares at bay. He awoke several hours later to the whisper inside his head.

_'Your friends return through the Circle. There are more with them, they look for you.'_

"Then I had better go. Thank you for helping me but I must make my way back to the gate. Are any of the locals around?"

Now he could distinctly hear laughter in his head. The sound of creaking started again and light began to appear down the trunk in front of him.

_'You will not have far to walk my friend. Thank you for your dreams, life can get pretty dull here. Perhaps you will visit me again.'_

"I don't know if I'll be able to persuade the powers that be to make an alliance with the trees. They will think I've flipped." Jack responded patting the inside of the trunk in a friendly manner.

He stepped out of the opening to be confronted by Daniel, Teal'c, Major Carter, SG2and SG7**. **The group stood open mouthed, staring at him and then the tree. Behind his team mates loomed the Stargate, wormhole still engaged. Jack realized that the 'tree' had carried him as he slept for several miles.

_'Good bye my friend, travel safely.'_

Jack turned to face his new friend and looked up through the branches. He listened as the trunk cracked and moaned close, then tapped the trunk.

"Thanks for the ride," he told his friend, "you were a great place to hide."

As he walked towards the Stargate Daniel raised a hand and opened his mouth to speak.

"Don't ask," Jack told him, "just don't ask."


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer**

Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Stargate (II) Productions, Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret productions, and Gekko productions. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money exchanged hands. Lord of the Rings is also someone else's property. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author. This story may not be posted elsewhere without the consent of the author.

**Note** A crossover Sci-Fi/Fantasy and a sequel to Hide

A slightly damp Jack placed his soap bag in the locker and pulled on a fresh black T shirt after his shower. As he stood by his locker going over the day's events in his head he grinned. The Psychiatrist had not wanted to clear him for duty, bur as there was nothing wrong with him he had not been given a choice. Jack had tried his best to remain calm but the doctor had tried his patience. In the end he had become sarcastic and it, as always, had been his best defence. Hammond had been called by the doctor and on listening to the reasons why Jack would not be fit for duty, had made his decision. At least Hammond had believed Jack hadn't flipped, _'well, kind of. Now perhaps all this idiocy will go away and they will let me get on with my job, _he thought.

As he strolled down the corridor back on duty and free of care he began whistling to himself. He began to notice a few giggles and sly looks from personnel he passed in the corridor. He frowned, wondering why his whistling would cause amusement, no one usually took any notice. When he opened his office door and swung into the room he realised things were not back to normal. Jack came to a dead stop inside the door. "For crying out loud!" he hollered as he took in his desk and his returning good humour vanished The outside corridor suddenly cleared of personnel as he slammed the door and strode across the room to his desk and chair.

His eyes narrowed as he surveyed the interloper, a two foot high perfectly formed weeping willow tree had been placed in his chair. It had been tastefully decorated with two large blue eyes and big red lips created from paper and felt tipped pens and had a small straw wig perched on its apex. He grabbed the tree by its slender trunk, lifted it from his seat and stripped off the decorations. He set it on the floor in the corner of the room, refraining with effort from destroying it out of hand. He grabbed his jacket and stormed out of the room trying to decide how to repay Sam or Daniel or maybe both for their continued ragging. _'It's retribution time,' _he thought. Whatever his intention had been it was thwarted by an alarm sounding and lockdown being initiated on the base. Jack forgot the tree and headed for the Gate Room.

"What's going on?" he asked General Hammond as he joined him to look down on the Stargate from the Control Room.

Hammond looked up and smiled briefly at is SIC. "Someone is dialling in from MI 32784. We were not expecting to hear from anyone there any rime in the near future." He threw an interrogatory look at Jack.

"We didn't give anyone our Gate Address sir," Jack responded, "the natives were definitely hostile and only the trees saw us gate out," he added wincing slightly as he referred to the trees. Hammond hide the smile that Jack's discomfort almost drew out of him but Jack noticed the twitch of his Commanding Officer's lips.

A Technician drew their attention to the console. "Sir, someone is trying to communicate with us and are asking for…" the technician hesitated.

"Well," Hammond asked, "what are they asking for?"

"Well Sir," the answer came out a little puzzled, "they want to speak to the leader of the Fruit Loop Clan." Jack let out a bark of laughter before he could smother it.

"Colonel O'Neill?" Hammond swept an arm round to point at the console. "Would you like to answer this query.

Jack strolled to the console and leaned forward to listen. A voice could be clearly heard through the speaker repeating the same statement for the third time. "I need to speak to the leader of the Fruit Loop Clan." The voice was a quiet and polite but not one Jack recognised.

A shrug of his shoulders spoke more eloquently than words but Hammond nodded for him to respond. "This is Colonel O'Neill, what can I do for you?" he asked.

"Colonel O'Neill, that is your title, you are of the Fruit Loop Clan? Never mind. A friend has told us your clan could be of assistance. He said to tell you that I am also of the Fruit Loop clan." There was a slight pause and then the voice asked, "do you understand this code?"

"The Fruit Loop Clan?" Hammond queried Jack as his eyebrows rose higher as he listened.

Jack sighed, that was something else he had not put in the report after he had returned from the mission. As it was what he had included had cost him a trip to the base Psychiatrist. "Whoever he is Sir, he's not hostile," Jack informed the General, "there is only one 'person' who would use that phrase." His head turned back to the console, "what can we do for you?"

"We have a territorial problem we were told you could help us with. We have little to offer in exchange for your help, but I have been told that your people's prime motivation could be altruistic. A need for new friends. Will you return and help us?"

Jack looked to Hammond for the answer to that question. There had been quite enough trouble for him already over this planet and he was not going to give anyone more ammunition to fire at him. "Altruism is not a reason that would sit well with some of our people," he commented in an aside to Jack, "but it won't hurt to see what they want and have a proper look around. There may be something there for us. Get the team together," Hammond ordered. "And Jack, try to stay together this time."

The General responded to the strange voice as Jack left to gather the team. "The Colonel will be with you as soon as he can."

Jack nodded and left the room with a thought forming, there would be no reason to get even with the team for not believing him and for the tricks played since the debriefing. His friends were about to have their noses rubbed in the truth.

So in little more than two hours the three members of SG1 at the foot of the Stargate ramp waiting for Jack to join them. "Sooo, do you think Jack will introduce us to his new friend this time?" Daniel asked with a slight smile appearing.

Sam raised her eyes to the ceiling and then looked pointedly at the Archaeologist. "Daniel behave, we have a mission to complete and I think we may have pushed the Colonel's a little to far with that last joke. Jake said…"

"You all ready?" came the question from directly behind them making Sam and Daniel jump guiltily. They hadn't heard him enter the Gate room over the noise of the Gate activation. Jack smiled innocently at them causing further discomfort and walked up the ramp as the horizon settled. He glanced back at his unsettled crew and called, "are you coming?" and then stepped through the shimmering event horizon. Daniel looked at Sam, shrugged and then followed his friend.

Sam looked at Teal'c who had remained steadfastly silent about Jack's previous experience on the planet. He was watching Daniel disappear as he disappeared through the wormhole and he shook his head. "It was unwise of you to disbelieve O'Neill, he will not forget."

Although Sam was inclined to agree with him her mind would not accept what it had been told, _'but really, talking trees!' _she thought as they entered the event horizon together. They collided with Daniel as they exited Gate. He had stopped only a couple of feet from the horizon. "Daniel! What are you…!" Sam spluttered as her head hit his shoulder but she stopped when she saw what had frozen him in place.

When they had last come to this planet the Gate had been on an open gentle slope with a few bushes sprinkling the area and one old tree close to the Gate. Now the Gate was surrounded by trees as close as they could safely grow. They were not even young trees that could have been newly planted, they looked like they had been there for years,_ "but that's not possible"_ Sam thought, not for the last time. The area was gloomy with just the odd sun beam breaking through the branches, the place looked like a cathedral. Jack was stood a few yards away regarding the trees intently. Then one of them lifted its roots from the ground and moved towards him. Daniel's jaw dropped open and Sam's grip on the P90 tightened as she took in its size, the disastrous debriefing running through her mind. "He didn't say they could walk," she whispered at her two friends. Then the tree bent towards Jack and in a deep reverberating voice commented. "Jack O'Neill it is good to see you again, I have missed your company."

"Back at you old fella," Jack responded ignoring his team completely.

"There is someone I would like you to meet," Tree Beard boomed. "He will be most pleased to see you."

From between the ancient trees surrounding the Gate a gleam became noticeable. After a moment Jack focused on a tall, slim figure with long fair hair and dark eyes to beautiful to belong to a man. Jack blinked in surprise as this vision was as difficult to swallow as finding himself talking to a tree. "An elf?" He asked in a surprised voice and turned back to continue the conversation with Tree Beard.

At that precise moment it wasn't the eyes that took Sam's attention, it was the pointed ears. "I don't believe it," she commented.

"Indeed," Teal'c responded misunderstanding Sam's comment, "he looks very different from the previous people we met on this planet. Taller and fairer."

"The tree is talking," Daniel finally commented as if he had just grasped the fact, he hadn't even focused on the figure that had appeared.

"He looks like an elf!" Sam gasped.

Daniel finally focused on the figure and muttered, "why not, a talking tree and now an elf, we've all flipped."

"What is an elf?" Teal'c asked.

"Something out of earth's fantasy stories," Sam explained.

"Well it don't seem much like a fantasy to me," Jack Commented as he rejoined them. "This is Legolas and he wants us to go with him to see the Elf Council…." Jack raised an eyebrow and waited for Daniel or Sam to respond a slight smile hovering at the edge of his mouth.

"Sir, this just isn't possible," Sam responded.

"But Carter you are looking at him, them, how is it not possible?" Jack responded and this time a grin lit up his face.

"But Sir, I mean its straight out of Tolken, even the names, how is it possible?"

"Well," Jack explained to the tree, "apparently you are not possible Tree Beard."

"Hrumph," the tree responded.

"But Elves and Ents Sir," Sam whispered not wishing to upset the 'tree thing'.

"Maybe Tolken's imagination had a little help." Jack suggested and the grin widened.

Teal'c wandered around Tree Beard and then looked Legolas up and down. "Both these beings appear very real to me. Who is this Tolken who knows of this place?"

"A fiction writer from earth's last century," Daniel informed him.

"Then it is not possible that this world is connected to the Goa'uld or the Ancients. How could he know of this place?" Teal'c responded is his normal pragmatic manner.

"I to would know more of this Seer from your world, but not here," Legolas interrupted. "We have a long distance to cover to reach Sanctuary at Rivend ale. Elrond would speak with you of the evil that has beset this land."

Daniel finally accepting the evidence of his eyes and ears asked, "does this evil have a name."

"It has no name but affects our enemies and makes enemies of our friends. It gives them an unknown strength and tools we have never before seen. It moves like a snake and invades them body and then soul," Legolas explained anxiously. "We must move quickly now."

Jack looked at his team the smile no longer in evidence, "that sounds damned familiar. Lets get moving, Sam let SGC know we could be a few days and for them to activate the Gate for radio contact every twenty four hours."

"Radio contact?" Legolas queried.

"You will see."


	3. Chapter 3

"Are you coming with us?" Jack asked Tree Beard as SG1 sent the ATV back through the Gate.

"Well no," replied the big old tree. "You see, I like the elves because they like the trees and do not harm us, but this problem does not concern us. These events do us no good, but they do us no harm. The Ents will not get involved and will now return to their tree herding."

Jack looked up at his friend and grinned, "these 'events' do not concern us but you have gotten us involved anyway."

"Yes, but you are human and will always interfere in events that do not concern you," the Ent replied amusement colouring his tone, then he turned to stride away. Suddenly the whole wood around the Gate appeared to be on the move and sunlight began to light up the broken ground around them. The team stopped what they were doing to watch the Ents on their match over the hill. The strange creatures vanished down into an unseen valley beyond their line of sight.

"He seems to know a lot about your people," Legolas commented as he picked up his bag, quiver and bow.

"Yes," Daniel responded, "I wonder who from?" They turned together and walked away from the Gate followed by Teal'c and Carter.

After a moment Sam stopped and looked back, Jack was still watching the last of the Ents disappearing over the rise. "You coming Sir?" Jack turned and followed them without answering and appeared to be deep in thought . In a few strides the group had all come together and followed Legolas towards a silver thread in the distance.

"We need to cross the river before dark, there is a small rise beyond which will give us a view of the surrounding country and it will be safer to stay the night there," he told them.

After they had been walking a while the group strung out along the trail. Legolas led the way with Daniel behind asking questions about the Elves and Rivendell. At first Legolas was surprised by the continual questions, but the conversation became lively and left them both smiling and relaxed in one another's company. Carter and Teal'c walked behind them a few feet apart watching the surrounding countryside for danger and memorising the terrain. Suddenly from the rear an unexpected voice rose. Jack ended his silence in a totally unexpected way and they all stopped in surprise to listen.

"_Farewell we call to heath and hall_

_Though wind may blow and rain may fall_

_We must away ere break of day_

_Far over wood and mountain tall."_

"What is that sir," Sam asked curiously.

"Ohh, not mine. Don't you recognise it?" Jack asked as he reached them.

"Sounds familiar," Daniel acknowledged.

"I was remembering a school play, our English teacher loved Tolken. I thought it was stupid and boring at the time but I had to learn and recite this poem."

"Really," Daniel queried intrigued that Jack could still remember it. "Do you remember any more?"

"Sure, Legolas should like this bit," Jack responded and thought for a moment as Legolas tilted his head in query.

"_To Rivendell, where Elves yet dwell_

_In glades beneath the misty fell_

_Through moor and waste we ride in haste_

_And wither then we cannot tell."_

"Don't suppose you have anything for us to ride do you?" Jack asked suddenly. He aimed the sudden question at Legolas who laughed in surprise.

"How do you know of Rivendell?" he asked.

"It was compulsory reading when I was at school," he responded. "Never expected it to be useful now, go figure. I really do not understand how Tolken could have written about this place even if there are differences, there is so much that is similar to what I remember from the stories."

"He cannot have known of the Gate sir, he was an Academic and in England, The Gates were buried either under ice or in Egypt and then in American storage." Sam commented.

"That does not solve the mystery though does it. There has to be a link. Still he was born late 1800s was in the 1st World War, perhaps he got to Egypt before the archaeologists." Jack muttered more to himself than them.

"Or with the archaeologists," Daniel added.

"Is that possible?" Sam asked. Then she shook her head, "it still doesn't explain how he would have got through the Gate and back!"

Then Jack asked a completely different question of Legolas, "are there such things as Hobbits?"

"Hobbits, why yes there are Hobbits. I have had good friends…"

"No, this is too weird," Daniel muttered.

"What are… Hobbits?" Teal'c asked looking at his friends but suddenly he stopped. "What is that noise?

Suddenly there strange circumstances were forgotten as a distant strange howling noise caught all their attentions. "We must make it to the river quickly. The wolves should not yet be abroad. They have been sent to stop us," Legolas called as he took to his heels.

The group found it difficult to keep up with the Elf and when he realised he slowed his pace to match theirs. "They are going to reach us before we make the river," Legolas called the pace not affecting him at all.

"Then I think we had better stand our ground," Jack panted and stopped turning to face the increasing volume of howls. Legolas moved to stand beside him and Jack suddenly asked. "Do these enemies have new weapons?"

"I have seen none."

"OK then, I think a little culling is in order," They were out in the open at the bottom of a hill, not the most defensible position so they formed a loose circle facing outward so they could not be taken by surprise. As Jack looked up the hill the first wolf appeared. It paused realising that his prey had ceased running. Growling low in its throat it began to circle them cautiously wondering why they did not continue to run. Jack could see its eyes and knew that he faced an intelligent animal on the hunt. Other wolves appeared over the hill SG1 had just run down and were highlighted by the sun setting behind them. After a moments hesitation they began to advance at a slower rate joining the leader in circling their quarry.

"Why do they not attack?" Teal'c commented.

"They are looking for the weakest point," Jack explained just as one wolf darted towards the group and took a huge leap at Sam. Sam's first shot hit it in the chest knocked it into a backward flip. The action acted like a trigger and the whole pack attacked. The P90s sprayed in one short burst and took out seven wolves at once. Three uninjured wolves scattered, two running back the way they had come. At the top of the rise one wolf stopped and turned. Jack watched as it took in the scene and then howled a challenge, then it turned and disappeared.

"Those are powerful weapons that you carry," Legolas commented as he put an arrow back in the quiver.

"Those were not ordinary wolves," Jack told them. "The pack leader is going to tell someone we are here." He looked at Legolas and watched the elf nod in agreement.

"We must hurry now. I suggest we do not stop tonight and be far away by morning." Jack nodded in agreement and they all picked up their packs and started moving.


	4. Chapter 4

"Exactly where are we headed now," Jack asked Legolas as they watched Teal'c rowing them across the river in the deepening darkness. The temperature was dropping rapidly and a cold wind was blowing up the river. He shifted uncomfortably on the wooden seat.

"We are bypassing the shires and heading for Weathertop, it is the most direct route to get to the road to Rivendell."

"How long is that going to take?" Daniel asked from a cramped position with the packs in the stern of the boat.

"Two days, if you walk fast enough and only one if we can find horses to buy at Archet. There is an Inn there with an extensive stable," Legolas replied looking over his shoulder. "If we can get horses we could be in Rivendell in four or five days. Will you be able to communicate with your people over that distance?"

"More to the point," Jack commented, "can everyone here ride a horse. Daniel?"

"Of course I can ride," Daniel snapped back from his uncomfortable position.

"Ride?" Teal'c queried eyebrows beginning to rise and he stopped rowing. The tug of the river current became immediately apparent and the boat drifted down stream of the landing jetty on the other side of the river. Teal'c resumed his rowing. Jack eyed Teal'c speculatively but made no comment.

"I am sure we will all be able to ride," Sam commented and shifted her weight against a less lumpy pack. Sam eyed the Colonel resentfully, certain that Daniel and she had the most uncomfortable seating because he had not forgotten the last few weeks of fun and games.

The boat bumped against the jetty and Legolas jumped out and tied up the boat as his new friends disembarked. He watched them pick up their equipment and packs, swapping things between themselves without even thinking about it. _'These people have worked together a long time and communicate without word or thought. They are warriors, perhaps they will be able to help.'_ "We cannot go far in the darkness now but there is a clearing not far from here that we can use."

"A clearing," Jack commented, "doesn't sound very defensible."

"There is a small cave at one end which is defensible," Legolas responded and laughed. "You sound like a Ranger."

"I think that is a compliment," Daniel said with a grin as he remembered a little of the story from his childhood. Then Daniel lifted his eyes to the river bank they had just left. "Look," he said quietly.

On the other bank stood a large wolf it's eyes gleaming in the dark. Beside him a tall dark shadow that was difficult to make out. It stretched out it's hand and SG1 ducked instinctively, pulling Legolas down with them. The sound of a energy weapon being fired reached them and the trunk of the tree directly behind them exploded.

"Zat or hand devise?" Daniel asked.

"Zat I hope," Jack responded. "Lets get out of here." They made their way quickly through the wooded area listening all the while for signs of pursuit, but there appeared to be none. "Maybe he didn't want to get his feet wet," Jack quipped at one point but they were all thinking the same thing. The Goa'uld had reached this planet _' one energy weapon does not make it Goa'uld,' _Jack thought but he knew in his gut that it was them.

They suddenly broke out into a large meadow area surrounded by large trees on three sides. At the far end a mix of trees and bushes gave way to a ridge in which they could see a cave entrance. Jack looked at it and made a decision. "We'll bed down without fire for a few hours along the ridge away from the cave."

Legolas looked surprised but Teal'c nodded agreement and they moved a short distance away from the cave and quickly built a hide in which to settle against the ridge wall. Jack told them to bed down and he would take first watch. The elf settled down next to Sam and watched as Jack settled to his watch of the surrounding area. Carter's whisper disturbed him. "Something troubling you?"

"Why are we not in the cave?" he asked her. "I thought you wanted cover to sleep."

Carter smiled in the dark and answered, "The creatures we think are hunting us will expect to find us in the cave. If they loose the wolves they may find us, but while you were creating the hide I left a distraction for the wolves near the cave."

"Misdirection?"

"It will give us an advantage," she explained and it was Legolas's turn to smile unseen in the darkness.

"It will give us time to flee… or we could ambush those that would ambush us, is that right?" Legolas questioned with a chuckle.

"Yep, but now we need to sleep because we don't know how long we have," Carter told him.

"What about Colonel O'Neill, he also needs rest."

"He will rest when he knows we are safe. At the moment he wouldn't sleep even if he wanted too. Teal'c will take over when he has finished meditating."

"No sleep for Teal'c?"

"He does not require as much sleep as we do. Now rest," Carter ordered and closed her eyes and ears.

Within moments Legolas sensed that she was already asleep, in fact both she and Daniel were asleep. He closed his eyes and followed them into slumber. It seemed like a moment later when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see the Colonel with a warning finger to his lips. He glanced quickly round in time to see Teal'c rouse both Daniel and Carter. They were instantly awake and reaching for their weapons as they rose silently to their feet. The elf watched as hand signals went between them and they turned to whatever task they had been given. He saw the Jaffa disappear out of the hide and into the predawn darkness. Then he heard snuffling sounds and a low growl just outside their sanctuary. Jack motioned for everyone to freeze and slid out a knife. A wolf's head appeared through the branches hiding their position and its eyes gleamed. Suddenly it sensed danger and began to withdraw its head, but to late. The knife blade came down with sufficient force to slice through the back of the neck and pin the neck to the ground. The butt of Carter's weapon chopped down on the head and shut the wolf down before it could yelp in pain. The body slumped, dead before it hit the ground. Legolas followed as they all glided silently out of the Hide toward the cave entrance. He notched an arrow and followed silently.

The cave entrance came into view and he could see several shapes moving towards it. His new friends spread out but he noticed Carter set her weapon against a tree and lift a box from her pocket. She glanced across at the Colonel who had a hand raised, they all waited. Their pursuers reached the cave entrance and the Colonel signalled. Immediately Carter pressed the top of the box. A loud explosion occurred and a flash that lit up the woodland around as light as day for a second. When darkness descended it took Legolas a second a focus again. Then he realised that they were moving forward and followed them. A shadow in the corner of his eye caused him to turn, raise his bow and fire. The arrow sped through the air catching the strange looking man in the chest. Legolas was horrified for a moment, the man had looked like Teal'c. "Teal'c.." he gasped and pointed to the body.

"Not Teal'c," Daniel reassured him and then turned the body over to check him. "Jaffa," he called to Jack, "looks like a bull's head, wonder which Goa'uld he serves? Where is Teal'c?"

"Right here," Teal'c stated as he appeared out of the darkness. "O'Neill, there was one Jaffa at the landing and two more in the woodland. They will be causing no more trouble."

Legolas looked around him at the devastation these people had caused in just a few moments. He realised that Elrond was right, everything was moving to quickly towards destruction. "You know these people, you know where they are from." It was a statement and he waited for the Colonel to explain.

"First of all I'm Jack to my friends and this…" pointing at Carter, "is Sam. Now you have all out names. These are a group of people called Jaffa, Teal'c is also a Jaffa but he no longer serves the System Lords."

"System Lords?" Legolas asked questioningly.

"Parasitic creatures who take other intelligent creatures as hosts, suppressing the individual and taking over their bodies, we call them Goa'uld."

Legolas thought about this for a moment and then comment, "I don't understand."

Jack looked a question at Teal'c and he nodded. "Teal'c and a lot of his race are walking incubators for the young of these creatures. Teal'c cannot remove his because without it he will die." Legolas looked from Jack to Teal'c and back again. "Show him but be careful."

Dawn was breaking as Teal'c knelt beside the dead Jaffa and thrust his arm into the pouch that Legolas had not noticed. As light filtered through the trees Teal'c ripped the dying Goa'uld lava from the dead Jaffa's body and raised it into the light were it wriggled a little in his grasp and then stopped moving. "It is dead O'Neill."

Legolas looked at this small creature hanging limp in the hand and looked at Jack. "You are telling me that all our problems are caused by this small… snake."

Teal'c twisted the limp lava in his hand to make sure it was dead and then threw in away. He looked down at the dead Jaffa's head. "The bull is the sign of Indra. No one has known his whereabouts for sometime."

"Out of favour?" Daniel asked.

"No… just missing," Teal'c responded.

"Well we have no one following us for now, I suggest we make good use of this reprieve and get to Rivendell. By the way Legolas, who is it at Rivendell now. Our information…" he paused and grinned at the others before continuing, " is that a lot of the elves left when Mordor was destroyed." Although for different reasons all four looked stunned by the question and Jack dealt with the unasked question of his team first. "I read the book when I got back after my meeting with Tree Beard. We don't know how accurate our information is," he explained to Legolas.

"Elrond is still there. There are many who still are not ready for the Havens. Arwen has chosen to stay."

"With Aragorn?" Jack asked.

"Yes. Are you some kind of wizard?" Legolas asked puzzled.

In answer Jack hauled a book out of his pack and handed it to him. " If you can read this you will be as wise as we are."


	5. Chapter 5

It was midday and the sky was clear and the sun beat down on them as they reached the apex of the hill. Looking down they could see the small village of Archet surrounded by fields bright green with new growth. Beyond the village trees began to gather again obscuring the view of the hills beyond, but a road could clearing be seen wending its way through the countryside.

"That road will take us close to Weathertop," Legolas informed them. He had not said much since they had broken camp that morning. Ever since he had read the book the previous evening he had become increasingly silent. He had continued reading far into the night and had slept little. SG1 did not quiz him as they were having enough trouble with the conundrum themselves.

"Why do we need to go to Weathertop? If the book is correct that road will take us all the way to Rivendell." O'Neill asked curiously.

"I have someone to meet there who is coming with us," Legolas explained then changed the subject. "See the Inn at the bottom of the village," he continued pointing. "We should be able to buy horses there."

"With what?" Daniel asked. "We have no coin and very little to barter with."

"You do not need to be concerned about that. I brought what is necessary with me. Jack, you will look strange to these people, it might be better if I go in alone and get the horses. It will cause curiosity as elves do not often enter these towns and villages but they may just believe I have been sent to buy." Jack nodded agreement with him and Legolas left his pack with them but retained his bow and made his way into Archet.

The town was bustling and crowded with people as it was market day and many had come in from the surrounding countryside. As he moved down through the crowded street, the crowd seem to eddy around him. No one wished to invade the space of the elf although many watched his progress, whispering to each other in wonder so rare was it to see an elf now. Up on the hill Jack rested his elbows on the low branch of a tree watching Legolas progress through a pair of field glasses. "Looks like they suspect him of having the plague. There is an arms length of space around him at all times."

"Seems he was right, imagine their reaction to us," Sam responded as she stared down at the busy street. "As we don't know what is going on and what this Goa'uld is up to I don't like our only contact being so vulnerable," Sam muttered to herself.

Jack looked at his Second in Command and smiled, then returned to watching Legolas. "Considering we are all getting nervous I suggest we get a little closer." They immediately began to move downhill towards the town keeping an eye out for trouble.

"O'Neill, there appears to be another group entering this end of the village," Teal'c commented as they came over the last rise before the street. They all took to the cover of a small group of trees beside the road while they inspected the newcomers. The crowds in the market took no notice of them until they began shoving people out of the way. They were making a beeline for the Inn.

"Come on," Jack told them, "lets keep an eye on them but stay out of sight. The team moved around the back of the houses and made their way down towards the Inn in case Legolas needed assistance. They settled down beside the garden fence of the last cottage near the Inn and could see Legolas in what looked like a lively discussion with a grey haired older man standing by the stable entrance. The group that Teal'c had noticed entering the village appeared to be making straight for Legolas and the man Jack took to be the innkeeper. Jack's grip on the P90 tightened as an instinctive reaction to their body language kicked in.

The larger of the five men grabbed the innkeeper's shoulder and yanked him around. "We want horses now!" he demanded rudely interrupting the negotiation. The innkeeper looked at the five men confronting him and Jack noticed a small but unmistakable signal from him. Immediately from the Inn and stable area two men and what he thought was a child appeared carrying various tools.

"I will deal with you in a moment," the innkeeper stated evenly and deliberately turned back to Legolas. The big man's face twisted in anger and he made a grab for the old man but was intercepted by Legolas who grasped his wrist. One of the other men decided to take a swing at the lone elf but found himself flat on his back on the ground. The 'child' had used the pitch fork he was holding to hook his feet from under him. The group of men found themselves faced with an equal number and it was odds they did not care for. The innkeeper eyed them with distaste for a moment before saying, "there are no horses for you here try the next village. If you keep a civil tongue in your head you may find horses there."

The man looked at Legolas and ignored the innkeeper. "You will regret your interference he growled," then turned and stomped away. All but one followed, the last man stared at Legolas and then looked around as if he was expecting to see someone or something else and then followed the group.

The innkeeper smiled at Legolas, "thank you but I think the big one is not the one that should concern you."

"I think you are right Toby," a small voice came from behind and Legolas turned with a laugh and picked up the 'child' and swung him around.

"Sam! What are you doing in Archet?" Legolas shouted loud enough for even Jack to hear.

Jack grinned and looked back at Daniel, "I think you will find that the little guy is a Hobbit." Daniel gazed at the reunion and smiled. Jack looked at his team and realised they had finally managed to get past the strangeness of their situation. At that moment Legolas noticed them lurking nearby and motioned for them to join the group.

"I have some friends here," he said to the innkeeper, "that I would like to stay inconspicuous."

"I have a private parlour through the stable yard. You show them Sam while I get food and drink for my guests."

Sam grinned and turned to the stable, putting down the pitchfork on his way. SG1 made there way across to the stable without being noticed by anyone in the bustling market and found Legolas chatting with the Hobbit.

"What are you doing away from the Shire Sam?" Legolas was asking.

"Brought Rosy on a little adventure, she had never been out of the Shire and Archet isn't far from home. She is in the market now with the little ones. You are a lot further from home Legolas."

The elf Turned with a smile, "this is Sam Gamgee," he told them bringing a delighted grin to Daniel's face.

"The companion of the Ring Bearer," he said with delight,

An astonished look appeared on Sam's face and he looked at Legolas, "you been telling stories?" he asked.

The Innkeeper appeared and ushered them into his private parlour. The look on his face as he took in the people was a picture of suppressed curiosity. He took in the similar clothes they wore, even the women and the strange weapons they carried. They were not elves, they were not men like the ones he knew, _'who are they?'_ His helpers appeared with trays ladened down with food and drink which they placed on the tables.

Memories of a previous mission that left him growing old at a tremendous speed made Jack eye the food with considerable suspicion and Legolas noticed his reluctance. "Something wrong Jack?"

"Had a bad experience with foreign food," he muttered and then looked up. "Don't want to turn into an elf or something while I am here," he quipped and grinned. Then picked up a piece of fruit and bit into it. "Nice to have somewhere comfortable to sit for a while, thank you," he directed at the innkeeper.

"You will stay the night with us perhaps?" it was a question and an invitation and Jack looked at Legolas who nodded.

When the Innkeeper left Legolas commented, "we can make Weathertop before dark tomorrow if we start early."

"What about those men earlier," Teal'c suddenly asked, "I do not think that they will forget you, one particularly."

"Yes," Legolas responded thoughtfully, " I noticed that too, but perhaps they will wait until we are away from here before they try anything against me. I do not think they are ready to show themselves yet."

"You think they are connected with your current problem?" Jack asked.

"It does not harm us to be suspicious ," Legolas drawled slowly, bringing a smile to Jack's face as he realised he really liked this elf.

"Legolas," Sam looked at him with a worried expression, "we don't have more trouble with Mordor?"

"No Sam, Mordor is gone. This is something different and I am told that it is something that these people have succeeded in dealing with on their…. Own." Legolas stated. "I think we should sleep here tonight and get off before dawn."

"Fine by us," Jack commented then looked at his watch and nodded to Carter who disappeared to respond to the Stargate activation that was due.

Sam watched them curiously staring at Teal'c who was sat silently by the door as if on guard. The gold sign on his head was a puzzle to him as he had never seen such a decoration before. "I need to go find Rosie and the children," he told them. "If you don't mind company I will return later." Legolas smiled and nodded and Sam left to find his family.

"Well I think we should become acquainted with those horses if you managed to get some for us," Jack commented and they followed Legolas into the stable yard at the back of the Inn.

Toby showed them several good looking horses but was looking Teal'c up and down with a frown. "We only have two horses that will comfortably take a man of your size." Teal'c's eye brows lifted slightly but he made no comment.

A horse was saddled and led into the yard. When it came into view Jack tilted his head slightly as if assessing the sidling gait and general attitude of the horse and then he looked at the ground. Legolas noticed the reaction and wondered what comment he had refrained from making and why. The horse stood quietly in the centre of the yard as the stable hand explained the finer details of mounting the horse to Teal'c. Daniel looked at the horse and then at Jack, then moved to the Inn step and sat down trying not to smile and Sam sat beside him watching Teal'c intently.

Teal'c put his foot in the stirrup as instructed and hauled himself up into the saddle. The stablehand held the harness and the horse stood quietly while he settled. He picked up the reins as instructed and the stablehand let go of the horse. "This appears to be simpl…. "Teal'c began. The horse reared up and Teal'c slid over the back of the saddle landing on his back in the dirt. He looked up to find a very large grin on Jack's face and the others also laughing at him. "I do not think I will be able to ride O'Neill," he commented as he climbed to his feet.

Jack grabbed the reins of the horse and hopped into the saddle. The horse reared and then settled as he realised he could not unseat his rider. Jack looked down at Teal'c but spoke to Toby. "Do you have a less spirited animal in your stable?"

Toby smiled and nodded, "one but he is older and will not be as swift as the others."

"Still be faster than leaving my friend to walk," Jack responded and Toby motioned for the other horses to be brought out.

**A bit more action in the next chapter!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Sam Gamgee returned with his family to the Inn and the team found themselves in the unusual position of dealing with four very lively children that evening. Later in the evening Daniel noticed a frown forming on Teal'c's face and went to sit by him.

"What is it Teal'c?"

"The little man also interfered this afternoon. Is it not likely that these men will also wish to hurt him?"

Daniel looked at Jack on the floor playing with the children and frowned. "I had not even thought about it, but you are right. Legolas is not the only one who might be in danger."

"Sam Gamgee," Teal'c addressed the hobbit who walked over to join them, "where do you go tomorrow?"

"I have to take my family back to the Shire. Rosie will not want to be away from her family to long. Why do you ask?"

"The trouble this afternoon," Daniel began then turned to Jack and Sam drawing their attention away from the children. "Jack do you think Sam and his family will be in any danger from those men?"

"Are they likely to know who you are?" Jack asked.

Rosie smiled and interrupted them. "Sam and I had already discussed this earlier. The children and I are going to Merry's at Buckland for safety. Sam was thinking of accompanying you to Rivendell. He has been wanting to go for a while…"

"But things keep getting in the way," Sam finished. "I was thinking of moving on to Lothlorien to see you," he said looking at Legolas, "now I will just go to Rivendell I think."

"It seems like a good idea," Jack agreed, "but are you sure Rosie and the children will be safe."

"Merry and Pippin will look after them. Toby sent a message off earlier and they should be here tomorrow. Toby will watch over them until then." Then Sam looked around the room, "we just have to make sure they follow us if they are watching."

Teal'c nodded solemnly but there was a glint of amusement in his eyes. He still could not think of this little person as the character that Jack had described to him earlier in the evening. It would seem that a little extra help might be needed.

In the dark hours of the following morning Toby rose and prepared a meal for his strange guests. He arrived at the small private parlour to find them all already risen and packing up their belongings. As he laid out the table he decided that he had never seen such a strange mixture of people. Even the woman with the short blonde hair and her masculine clothes seemed not to fit any type of person he had met or heard of. Sam noticed the Innkeeper staring at her and smiled absentmindedly as she finished stowing her gear in the pack. She picked up a mug of steaming liquid and took a sip. It was an unfamiliar flavour but not bad. "Thanks," she said as she picked up some bread and cheese.

Legolas sat at the table and began eating and Jack and Daniel joined them. There was a knock at the door and Sam's head popped around it, "where is Teal'c," was his first question as he headed for the breakfast table.

"He does seem to have been gone a while," Legolas commented. "Said he was going to the stables."

"The stables?" Jack looked around as if he had not noticed that he was missing. "Now what is he up to?"

Teal'c quietly left the in through a back window and made his way carefully around the outskirts of the little town. He made his way back through the trees to the cottages opposite the Inn and moved cautiously forward. Suddenly he could hear movement in the dark ahead and froze, listening closely. Creeping forward a little way he could see the shapes of three men crouched and sat at the edge of the trees watching the Inn.

"We'll get that little rat too, I owe him for knocking me down," one of them whined.

"We have been told to get the elf and his companions, no one else is important. Hass will be here in a couple of hours with more men."

"I don't see why.."

"Stop whining and watch the stables. They will probably try to sneak away and I am not going to be the one to explain how we missed them!"

Teal'c smiled in the dark and moved forward quietly. The three men jumped suddenly as a huge shape rose out of the darkness. The first felt his legs hooked from under him again but this time the flat end of the instrument came down on his throat and chopped off his breathing. The second doubled up as something smashed into his belly and then down on his head. The third swung a weapon up to have it smashed unused from his hand and something hard connect with his head. Teal'c spun around and hit the one laying on the ground in the head also, then all movement stopped. He bent and picked up the weapon that had been drawn on him and found he was handling a zat. He secured and gagged the three men and left them hidden in the undergrowth and walked back across to the Inn. He walked back to the parlour and placed the Zat on the table in front of Jack, then picked up a drink.

"Where have you been?" Jack asked eyeing the Zat.

"There were three O'Neill and more will be here in a few hours. I believe now would be a good time to leave."

Jack stood up shaking his head, "what did you do with them?"

"They are unconscious and secured, they will not be found until these others they referred to arrive."

"Then I suggest that we leave. Toby…" Jack called to the Innkeeper, "are they likely to give you any trouble?"

"Only if they think I know where you are going, I would not tell them," Toby answered.

"Oh, be helpful Toby. Tell them where we are going, I think they know anyway so it will not be new information. If you are helpful they should leave you and your patrons, including Sam's family alone. They will be more interested in chasing us."

"But sir…" Toby responded reluctant to betray his new friends.

"Jack is right Toby, you will not be telling them anything they probably do not know and it will save you and this town trouble," Legolas confirmed.

With that, they all headed quickly for the stable yard and the horses that had already been prepared for them. The company now numbered six as it rode quickly through the town and down the road towards Weathertop.

Weathertop came into view late in the afternoon with the sun sinking behind them. Teal'c had begun muttering about fifteen minutes before, although Jack could not hear what he was saying. He leaned quietly across to Legolas, "I think it is time to give Teal'c a rest. He won't complain even if he falls off that horse."

Legolas looked back at the suffering Jaffa and nodded, "we need to go a little further this evening though. Weathertop is within reach and will be a defensible place to stay the night."

"That didn't help Master Frodo," Jack heard Sam mutter from behind and raised an enquiring eyebrow at Legolas.

"Frodo was seriously injured there and never completely recovered from the wound," Legolas explained.

"So that actually happened?" Jack asked.

"Your book was very precise and correct about the things that happened here in Middle Earth. I do not understand… Never mind, this is a good place to rest for a short while," Legolas changed a subject he did not want to continue. _'Rivendell will be the best place to find answers.'_

As they rested bodies unused to hours in a saddle Daniel wandered up and down trying to ease the stiffness in his legs. It had been a few years since he had ridden either horse or camel. He looked at the remaining distance they had to cover before bedding down and grimaced. It would be a day or two before he really felt comfortable again. Weathertop looked a long way away to the tired Archaeologist. "Legolas," Daniel called out suddenly, "what is that light on Weathertop."

Legolas stood up quickly and stared for a moment. "We must go now," he called urgently gathering up the reins of his horse and springing into the saddle. The horse began to dance under the impatient elf.

Everyone climbed back into their saddles in response to the urgency in his voice. Jack looked at the light and asked the question in all their minds. "Who has lit a fire up there?"

"It is Gimli and perhaps some friends. They do not know that we are hunted. They will be discovered!" Legolas responded and they road off the road and directly towards the hilltop as quickly as was safe in the failing light. The two Sam's brought up the rear and Sam Carter could see the concern on her companions face.

She reached across and squeezed his shoulder, "we will reach them Sam," she told him confidently. Sam smiled briefly but the smile vanished as he urged his pony onward through the trees, to Sam this flight seemed all to familiar. The pain of the ride faded as they responded to the urgency in Legolas voice. Even Teal'c managed to ride faster than he had been, but as they neared the bottom of the hill they began to see flashing light and hearing loud voices.

Jack made everyone halt and dismount. "Tie up the horses and leave them hear," he whispered before moving quietly off towards the noise. Everyone lifted the weapons from the horses and followed him.

A shout was heard from the ruin on Weathertop and Sam recognised his friend's voice. "Gimli," he gasped and tried to run forward but was grabbed by Daniel.

"We are going to help him but not be getting ourselves killed, wait, stay by me,"

Jack signed for them to spread out and climb so they made their way quietly up to the ruin. Peering over the wall revealed a chaotic scene as three dwarves were being held down and tied. It was taking all of twelve individuals with various injuries to do it and three Jaffas stood watching with varying degrees of contempt on their faces. The dwarves looked injured but alive and Jack nodded to Teal'c and pointed Sam around the side of the ruin, then motioned for Daniel and Sam to stay put. Then he looked at Legolas and they stood up and stepped into the centre of the ruin. A dozen surprised faces looked up and for a second everyone froze and then they rushed forward to grab them, at which point Sam appeared to their side and Teal'c attacked the Jaffa from behind. Daniel stood behind a broken wall with his Gun on single shot watching the fight, suddenly he noticed a man swing a sword at Sam's back and carefully let off a shot. It was the first bullet fired and sounded loud over the melee. The man behind Sam dropped as Sam put down the one she was fighting with. Suddenly the space around her was free and she made a beeline for the dwarves. Sliding into a sitting position next to the nearest she began to slice through their bonds.

Meanwhile Legolas was wading through the attackers with his sword, leaping and dancing his way through the group until he reached Sam and the dwarves. "Hello Gimli, I think I am ahead of you again," Legolas called as he hauled one of the Dwarves to his feet. With a roar Gimli waded into the remaining men and they turned and fled. Seven dead lay on the ground and two unconscious. Teal'c had killed the three Jaffa.

"Lets move away from here I don't want to sleep with the corpses," Jack muttered. He was beginning to feel a little disgruntled nothing seemed straight forward anymore_. 'All this fuss over some insignificant Goa'uld, what would he want with this place anyway.' _"Why is this Goa'uld so interested in this place?" Jack asked as they moved down to the same spot as Sam had set up camp with Frodo and his friends all those years ago. "I wonder where his ship is?"

"His ship?" Legolas queried.

"A large golden pyramid that will have appeared suddenly somewhere. Someone may even have seen it come down from the sky," Daniel explained as he began to build another fire in the less exposed position.

"Yes, we know of a golden pyramid," Legolas replied, "but we did not know from where it came, but our problems began soon after it appeared."

They all settled around the fire as Sam played doctor to Gimli and his two friends. Then as they ate Legolas told them of the problems around Rivendell since the arrival of the golden Pyramid.


	7. Chapter 7

Legolas stared into the fire conscious of every ones eyes on him as he began his tale. "We don't know when the pyramid appeared. One day a group from Lorien were hunting in the north of Mirkwood and they came across some strangers. They wore few clothes and carried staffs of lightening. These strangers attacked them and only one escaped to bring the news to us, he was badly injured and it took all of our arts to heal him. The north end of Mirkwood has become closed to us, but we have managed to pass through in secret and there we found the Golden Pyramid. These strangers appeared to be wizards that control lightening and fire. They can bring the sun from the sky and surround themselves with its power. They have not interfered with Lothlorien yet, but we are afraid it is only a matter of time and there are fewer of us now that remain in middle earth to protect her."

"Exactly were are these invaders?" Gimli asked as he stroked his beard absently considering the information.

"Close to where the River Anduin springs from the mountains, between the mountains and Mirkwood. They control all the open land there.

"Were there any people in the area they landed?" Jack asked bringing Legolas's eye to his face.

"No. The land was unoccupied as is it not very fertile," Legolas explained, "why?"

"Then there has been a lot less loss of life than there could have been," Jack commented as he shifted his weight to find a more comfortable spot to lean against and shifted his knees. "The Goa'uld are ruthless, if there had been a population there it would have been enslaved or killed. What I don't understand is why they have stayed away from Lothlorien and Rivendell. They are clearly spreading their influence in a much more devious way than normal for them."

"Not for much longer I think," Legolas commented and looked at Teal'c, "these people look very like you." Teal'c nodded his head at the statement of fact but made no response.

The group settled down around the fire to sleep until dawn. Teal'c took first watch and wandered away from the light to adjust his eyes to the darkness surrounding them. Gimli and Legolas settled down and begun a low conversation so as not to disturb the rest. Jack watched them for a while and could see, if he had not known from the book that these two had been friends for a long time. His eyes wandered to the other side of the fire were Daniel and Sam Gamgee had unfurled their bedrolls and gone immediately to sleep. Sam Carter was a little further around the fire and appeared to be restless. Settled in her bedding with her eyes closed did not fool Jack for a minute, she was not sleeping. In fact, he realised she had not spoken to anyone since the race to save the dwarves.

Jack made his way over to sit beside her and gently touched her shoulder. She jumped and shot up, arm reaching for her weapon. "OK Carter, nothings wrong," Jack whispered so as not to disturb Daniel who was nearest.

Sam gazed up at him immediately with fully focused eyes, "Sir?" Jack smiled wryly and settled beside her, so she sat up. Sam wondered what was on his mind and leant forward to grab another cup of coffee before settling back. "Problem Sir?"

"This whole mission is a problem Carter. None of this makes any kind of sense to me and we need to know why we are here and what we need to do to get to this Goa'uld. What is he after, because he sure as Hell isn't interested in this planet itself."

"I concur Sir. They have to be looking for something specific. I have been racking my brains looking for a reason, never mind the problem of Tolken and the book. These two things cannot be connected can they? No, no, there is no way they can be connected. We need to first find out what they want here other things will wait for later."

"I concur," responded Jack with a solemn face and a twinkle in his eyes. "So what do you think they are looking for? Well there is one thing we do know Carter."

"What is that Sir?"

Sam tilted her head on one side and looked up at him in a cute way that caused him to pause and gather his breath before replying, "that whatever it is, the mountains where they landed conceals it. If they were mining they would have enslaved the population to do the work so it is not a mineral deposit of any kind."

"But," Sam finished the thought, "somewhere in those mountains is something that would give Indra power of some kind. Riches are secondary to them, power and control is their primary objective."

Jack nodded his agreement and then looked across to the fire. He decided that Carter was completely unaware of how cute she was and that he needed to find something else to occupy his mind. "I think I will go and relieve Teal'c so that he can Kel no reem. Now you can get some sleep." He stood up and walked away from the fire and the disturbing influence of his Second in Command.

As they spoke they were completely unaware of a pair of elfin eyes watching them curiously. "There is an attraction between them but they ignore it, I wonder why?"

Gimli looked across at his new friends and then back at Legolas. "You trust these people?"

"Treebeard trust him implicitly, as for the rest of his race we do not know. However, these three people and the one with the mark have shown themselves to be strong people and worthy of my trust," Legolas responded with a smile.

"Then why do I sense that they worry you?"

"Not worry me, I do not understand how they could exist. They are a tale from the Hall of Fires come alive. Stranger still is this book that Jack gave me to read." He waved the tome in front of Gimli's face, "It is their equivalent of our fireside tales and tells the story of our Middle Earth! Can you explain this to me?"

Gimli looked at his disturbed friend with a wise eye and said gruffly, "you like these people and trust them to help us. Nothing else is important." Then he looked at his friends and commented. "Tomorrow they will go back to the halls to warn our people of these invaders and tell my father that I have gone with you and the strange friends of Treebeard to defeat this new threat. We will again fight side by side my friend!"

Legolas laughed and nodded, "I will still beat your tally of the foe," he informed Gimli.

"We shall see," he responded and smiled as he settled down to sleep.

The following morning Gimli said goodbye to his friends and the group set off for Rivendell. They now made good time without too many delays and made it to the Last Bridge after two days and camped in a stand of trees close to the river.

Jack's instinct was for a cold camp and extra vigilance even though they were so close to Rivendell. When Legolas asked why, Jack told him they still had the woodland to penetrate. "Indra knows we are here, how is not immediately important but the snake will not let us reach Rivendell. It has already shown us that he believes we are a threat. I don't know exactly why but I a quite happy with the role."

That night they all slept lightly with double watches and a couple of hours efore dawn the assault Jack was expecting came.

**Reviews welcomed and additional character requests considered. This is an ongoing story published as I write it so it only has a general direction, LOL!**

**Indra - sign of the bull**

Top of river Anduin

Above MIRKWOOD


	8. Chapter 8

It had been a clear night and the moon rose a couple of hours before dawn. Teal'c had moved himself and Sam Gamgee deep into the shadow of the trees so they could not be easily seen. Their watch was almost over and Sam was tired. He had not spoken for the last hour, trying to talk to Teal'c was a tiring business. He liked the big taciturn man but finally realised that he was not going to find conversations easy with him.

Teal'c had other things on his mind, he was becoming increasingly uneasy but could see no cause. Suddenly he heard a noise from the camp and he turned to see Sam Carter was becoming increasingly restless. Teal'c strode quickly to O'Neill and woke him, immediately pointing at Sam. Both Gimli and Legolas were disturbed by the movement within the camp and came awake. Both stared at the men then in the direction of their interest. As they did so Sam suddenly came awake, shooting upright and reaching for her weapon. This woke Daniel who took one look at his friend and also reached for his weapon.

"Trouble is close," Jack whispered to the group and Gimli grabbed his axe as he cast a puzzled glance at the woman. Legolas pulled his sword knowing that his bow would be worse than useless at close range and in the dark. The group peered out into the darkness and the unnatural silence of their surroundings penetrated. They spread out finding cover were available and waited to see what Teal'c and Sam were sensing.

A movement in the corner of Sam Gamgee's eye caused him to whip his head around then spin swiftly round slashing at a shadow behind him. A lurid curse was heard and a Jaffa sprang out of the shadow with blood flowing from a wound across his chest. Sam ducked under the staff weapon and thrust his sword through the pouch he now knew to be there. The Jaffa collapsed with a scream and did not move again, but the whole area came alive with Jaffa rising out of the darkness. All the P90s went into action and several attackers went down immediately, then it became hand to hand combat everywhere. Legolas and the Hobbit stood back to back warding off attackers while Gimli's axe whistled through the air and thudded into flesh. Teal'c found himself surrounded by three Jaffa but the fight was vicious and brief as he put each one down. Two large Jaffa thought they would have no problem with the woman but found they were very wrong as Sam used her P90 as a club then dropped it in favour of her knife. A Jaffa swung the blunt end of his staff at Daniel and found empty air as he rolled under the blow and took his attacker down. Daniel finally showing that he remembered Teal'c's lessons well.

Jack made short work of two other Jaffa, landing on his knees to finish the second he had put down when he heard a low growl. A weight hit him from behind and teeth sank into his shoulder in a tearing motion. Legolas saw him go down and cried, "Waug!" making everyone turn to look. Jack twisted away from the wolf tearing his shoulder further but unbalancing the creature, then thrust his knife deep into its chest. Its eyes flashed briefly and then the light died as it dropped to the ground. Jack crawled away cursing in pain as Legolas ran forward. "A warg! This is bad magic!"

Suddenly Jack threw himself at Legolas carrying him away from the body of the wolf. "Not warg," he yelled, "Goa'uld!" as a snake like object missed them. Jack made a grab for it but it landed on the ground and tried to wriggle away. Gimli swung his axe and cut it in two as Jack sank back to the ground with blood pouring from the wound in his shoulder. Sam scrambled for the medikit and tried to stem the blood loss.

"Thank you Jack," Legolas said as he raised and steadied him for Sam to work on his shoulder.

"Your welcome," Jack responded before going limp as he lost consciousness.

"He needs more help than I can give him," Sam mumbled desperately as she applied compression bandages to the wound. "I can give him a shot of antibiotics but we don't know what other damage may have been done." She looked at the ground and at his clothes, "he has lost so much blood!"

"Get him on a horse now and ride until we reach Rivendell," the little Hobbit called as he turned to bring the horses.

Gimli went to help him but was shaking his head. "That's a bad wound I don't know if he will survive the ride."

"We have to try, he saved Legolas and seems to understand these new enemies. We need him to survive," Sam finished worriedly.

Legolas grabbed his horse and appeared to speak to it, then vaulted onto its back. "Pass him up to me," he instructed Teal'c and Daniel. As soon as he had Jack's unconscious body settled in front of him he spurred the horse forward. "Follow as swiftly as you can," he called over his shoulder. "We do not stop until we are beyond the ford." The rest of the group scrabbled for their weapons and kit and then followed as fast as they could, each hoping there would not be further attacks. Legolas and Jack were nowhere to be seen as the horse carried its double burden swiftly and out of sight and sound of those that followed. "Hold on Jack, we will get you to help." Jack became vaguely aware of a bouncing motion and being confined. Slowly he realised that he was very cold and the only warmth he had was the arms that confined him. Puzzled he tried to open his eyes and saw the ground travelling swiftly past him. There was a tiredness creeping over him that he realised was dangerous and he fought it. "Don't fight me Jack, I do not want to drop you. Not long now and you can rest."

He realised that he had been struggling, albeit weakly and stopped. "That would be nice," he whispered as he closed his eyes again. Legolas heard him and smiled despite the fear for his friend.

A long way back the group followed but Sam Carter began to worry when they had no sign of their friends. "Where are they? That horse is carrying two, surely it will tire and we will catch up?" she called to Gimli who rode Sam Gamgees sturdy little mare while he road a larger horse.

"When an elf rides at his own speed nothing can keep up with him," Gimli shouted back.

"A horse is a horse it can only take so much," Sam retorted and Gimli laughed.

"You have not seen much of elves where you come from, they can do much."

Sam laughed back despite her worry. "Where we come from elves are a myth, they do not exist!" Then the talking stopped as they all concentrated on speed, even so, Legolas pulled further and further ahead of them in his haste to make Rivendell.

The cold morning sun rose over the Rivendell ford spreading its blood rich light over the water. The horse carrying Legolas and his injured friend reached the water but did not slow down. The tiring horse gamely ploughed through the shallow river to climb the steep bank on the other side dancing a little as it faltered on the upper bank. "Not far now," Legolas whispered encouragingly to the horse and then moved his unconscious burden back into the secure position the climb had slid him from. Legolas let the horse pause for breath as he glanced back across the ford but could see no sign of the others. Finally he turned to concentrate on the remaining distance to aid and encouraged the horse forward again.

By the time the rest of the mixed band of adventurers had reached the ford Legolas was long gone. Sam Gamgee and Gimli rode straight into the water followed swiftly by Daniel as concern for Jack overrode caution. Sam followed him without a backward glance and her horse began climbing the other bank as Teal'c reined in his horse and turned before entering the water. A noise had attracted his attention and he looked skyward. "Teal'c cross now!" yelled Daniel as he saw what had attracted his attention and Teal'c speedily followed his advice.

Rushing towards them was the familiar shape of a Goa'uld glider which began firing. Daniel threw himself from the horse with his weapon and began firing at the glider. Sam joined him as Teal'c climbed the bank. As the glider skimmed the ground and reached the river a water spout flew into the air hitting it squarely underneath and flipping it over. It ploughed into the ground beyond them and exploded. "That was a neat trick," Daniel commented as he stood up.

"The elves control the water of the river, literally so," Gimli explained a gruff chuckle escaping as he caught up his pony. Then he noticed Sam on his knees beside his horse.

Sam Gamgee looked up with tears in his eyes. "He is dead! They killed him!"

"I am sorry Sam," Daniel said tapping him awkwardly on the shoulder.

"It was a head shot," Sam explained trying to be kind, "it would not have known what happened."

Sam Gamgee sniffed and rubbed his arm under his nose a woe-be-gone look on his face. "You can ride with me," Daniel said helping him to his feet.

"You do not understand," Sam replied as he stood up, "the horse walked over me, he did it on purpose."

As they remounted and began the last leg of their journey Legolas was entering Rivendell. and riding hurriedly up into the vale to reach the help Jack needed in the House of Elrond. He knew Glorfindel would still be there and be able to help Jack. With Elrond gone he was now his only hope.

**Reviews Welcome**


	9. Chapter 9

Legolas hurried Jacks bearers along towards Glorfindel's home when an elf rushed past him to the imposing hall. He told the elves to hurry with their burden and ran swiftly behind what he guessed was a herald of bad tidings. As he arrived in the hall he saw a hurried conversation between the herald and Glorfindel who saw him immediately he entered. "There are men at the ford who are about to be attacked by a metal dragon," Glorfindel explained. "Are these also your friends?"

"Yes! Gimli and Sam Gamgee is with them."

"Then we had better intervene before someone is killed," Glorfindel responded and ran from the hall.

Legolas returned to Jack who was being carried through the door and followed to the room hurriedly set aside for the dying man. As Legolas settled his friend and helped remove his clothing a soft footfall behind made him look up. "Aragorn!" he cried extending his arms and hugging his old friend. "Why are you here?" was the puzzled question.

"A strange message from an even stranger herald. I had a visit from an Ent sent by Treebeard. He said tell Jack that they are now interested. He did not explain who Jack was or what he was interested in. The Ent did say that I was needed at Rivendell so against counsel we are here."

"We?" Legolas asked and then turned his attention back towards his friend. "This is Jack and he is gravely wounded. I think he may die. He was attacked by a warg, wolf, Goa'uld! I am finding it difficult to tell one enemy from another as this one appears in many forms. Jack said it was not a warg and saved me from a fate I am unsure of at the cost of worsening his injuries."

"Let me see him," as Aragorn the healer moved to help Legolas's friend. "Glorfindel helped your friends at the ford, but he said one died. The horse protecting Sam apparently. How did you manage that?"

"He was one of the stolen horses of Lorien," Legolas explained, "he will be mourned." Aragorn nodded as he inspected his patient.

"He has lost much blood and has a fever from the bite. I can heal the fever, but the weakness is from the loss and I cannot remedy this only time will tell if he can be saved." With that comment he set to work.

Legolas left Jack with Aragorn and strode back through the house. Glorfindel met him at the door and they walked down together passed the beautiful waterfall and through the vale to meet his friends. They had not long to wait as they could see the group galloping across the open ground between the woodland and Rivendell's vale. Glorfindel called for help and several elves arrived to take the horses as soon as the forlorn group entered the courtyard. Sam Carter sprang out of her saddle and grabbed her gear as she looked around. She had seen Legolas as they rode in and strode urgently towards him. A nod towards the stranger beside him was all the notice she gave as she rapped out, "where is he? Is he alive."

"He is being helped as we speak, but Jack is unconscious and the blood loss is more than we are used to seeing someone survive," Glorfindel answered before Legolas could reply.

Daniel joined them in time to hear the comment, "it takes a lot to kill Jack O'Neill. He is a fighter even when he does not want to be." he added cryptically. Daniel looked anxiously at Legolas, "where is he?"

"Go with Glorfindel and I will look after Sam," he replied looking to where the hobbit was sat unhappily surveying the horses, Legolas knew he was mourning the loss of his horse. Both Gimli and Legolas went to comfort the grieving hobbit.

They both nodded and followed Glorfindel toward the house. When they entered the room they found a tall man with a sprinkling of grey in his hair at Jack's bedside. His clothes were elfin although he himself was no elf. Jack was comfortably ensconced in the bed but very white and very still. "This is King Elessar and he is helping your friend," Glorfindel told them quietly.

Daniel looked at the tall aristocratic man and smiled. He turned to Sam and Teal'c, "this is Aragorn, you know Strider."

"Did Sam tell you that?" Aragorn said with a smile.

"No," Daniel replied, "the book did.

Aragorn frowned for a moment, "do you mean Frodo and Bilbo's book?"

"Ohh," Daniel suddenly stopped as a light flickered on in his mind, "I wonder if…" his thought trailed off as he watched Sam move past their latest acquaintance to check on her Colonel.

She checked his pulse and his wound dressing and finally sat down in the chair beside the bed as Aragorn watched her. "You are a healer?"

Sam looked up and shook her head, "no. I only know field medicine, to keep people alive until we can reach a doctor, healer to you I think." Aragorn nodded.

"If only we had some 'O' negative blood. We can't use any here because we do not know the differences and Teal'c cannot help. My blood is also no use even if I was the right blood group…" she continued muttering to herself.

"Err Sam," Daniel tried to interrupt then tried again, "Sam!"

"What Daniel," she responded tiredly.

"I am 'O' negative," he said softly, "you can use some of mine if it will help."

Aragorn looked between the two of them as Sam jumped up and made a grab for her pack. "You can do that, give your blood to another."

"Some of it," Sam explained as she rummaged through her sack for the means to transfer the blood. "A little won't hurt Daniel and may make a huge difference to Jack, the Colonel."

"What do you need?" Glorfindel asked from the doorway where he had remained.

"I have needles and I can use the drip feed for the saline, then we can put the saline in as well to add volume to his collapsing vascular system. We can do this, Daniel come over here and… we need to lay him down beside the Colonel but higher up so we can use gravity a little too, just in case we need it. She began stripping and preparing his arm and the equipment while Daniel was settled into place.

Aragorn stood back with Glorfindel and watched them. "She says she is no healer but I would say she is," Aragorn commented. Glorfindel nodded his agreement. They stood to one side of the room out of the way and that is where Legolas found them a few minutes later. Gimli and Sam entered the room behind him and the group watched wide eyed as Sam attached Daniel and Jack together by a tube and blood began to flow between the two of them. "Just relax Daniel, open and close your hand slowly and tell me if you feel any faintness as I cannot tell how much you are giving." She looked up and smiled for the first time, "do not want to bleed you dry." Daniel grinned back at her and then turned his heard to watch his friend.

After a few minutes a groan was heard from Jack's bed and his eyes flickered open. Above him was a ceiling and he could hear a lot of movement in the room. Sam's face appeared above him and she smiled in relief. "Hello Sir. Welcome back."

"I know this is old, but, where am I?" Jack whispered through a dry throat then he looked down at his arm, "and who am I attached too?"

"Hi Jack," Daniel called and laughed as Jack's eyes followed the tube from his own arm to Daniel's.

"You are not infusing me with Archaeologist Carter. Sam tried to smother a giggle and Jack smiled as a shadow fell over him. He looked up to find Teal'c and Legolas on the other side of the bed. "Hi guys. What have I missed? Someone got some water for me?" He motioned to his throat and accepted a carefully placed goblet. When he took a mouthful he looked up in surprise at the helper, "that is not water."

"No," Aragorn said with a smile, "it is a potion of the elves."

Jack was beginning to feel a little stronger and looked back with a straight face, " I am not going to get taller am I."

"No," came a voice from behind, that is a Ent potion," and Sam Gamgee popped into view. "We are glad to see you looking better."

Meanwhile Sam had disconnected Daniel and was connecting up the saline bag to his arm. She turned back to Jack with a big smile, "you have Legolas and Aragorn to thank for getting you here and treating you. I am just adding a bit of Daniel because you managed to lose so much of you." He grinned back but his grin faded as he saw her suddenly frown. "What is wrong?"

Sam glanced at Teal'c and Jack tensed but she put her hand to his shoulder and shook her head. Aragorn caught the undercurrent and his old instinct for danger cut in and he looked around. Sam leant down to her pack and came up with her P90 and moved towards the door with Teal'c on her other side. Glorfindel opened his mouth to speak but Legolas shook his head and silenced him. SG1's three companions had seen this reaction before and waited to find the cause. Teal'c suddenly reached out of the door and yanked an elf into the room. Sam put the muzzle of the gun to the back of his neck. "I do not know if you know where we are from but this weapon will remove the head and destroy whatever is attached to it."

The elf froze in place as he looked around the room. His eyes came to rest on the bed and Jack pushing himself up to look at him. "He was right you are not easy to kill."

"Carter," Jack asked and commanded in the one word.

"He is carrying a Goa'uld sir. Indra has had some one here for some time I would guess. This is why we were being hounded. Indra may have been missing for some time but…"

"I know, I know Carter, he is obviously aware of the Tauri," Jack finished. "We appear to be gaining a reputation for being a pain in the ass."

"This is Denola, he is a friend," Glorfindel spoke concern on his face.

"Denola is a friend. What has invaded him and is using his body is not," Legolas responded. "Is there no way to save our friend?"

Sam looked across at Jack now sat up in the bed and he shrugged his good shoulder. "There may be a way," she said, "but you must keep him secure and not listen to anything he might say. It will be a lie to gain his freedom. There are people we know who can remove the Goa'uld from him, but we cannot."

Aragorn looked at the expression on Jack's face and asked, "you do not like these people?"

Jack led back against the pillows and sighed, "do not like, do not altogether trust, but they are on our side," Aragorn did not miss the irony in his tone.

A voice that no one recognised brought all eyes back to Denola, "if the Tokra try to take me from this host I will kill it." The elf's eyes glowed showing itself for the first time.

Teal'c caught at its hidden arm and drew it round, pulling the gold decoration from Denola's hand. "This is a weapon of the Goa'uld, used to kill and for punishment." Teal'c told his audience.

"It is useless to you Shovva. I will enjoy watching you die."

"What is a shovva?" Aragorn enquired, "it does not sound polite the way it was said."

"Traitor, they call Teal'c The Traitor because he was the first of the Jaffa to defy his god and help free some of their captives. We," Jack continued waving a hand around at his friends, where the first people he saved, but not the last. Teal'c has a guilt trip every time someone accuses him of what he was but…"

"He was brave enough to defy a god to do what was right," Aragorn finished and Jack nodded. "We should have more friends who have this courage do you not think Glorfindel."

Glorfindel smiled a rare occurrence in recent times, "you will always be welcome here Teal'c, I name you elf friend." Denola hissed but did not move as the gun was unwavering placed at his neck. Glorfindel called for a guard and arranged for Denola to be placed in a secure location with strict instructions as to his care.

As he left Jack spoke up from the bed. "Be careful there are always at least two watching him or the Goa'uld could move to someone else and we would not know who."

Denola began to struggle as rage consumed him as his one plan of escape was effectively thwarted. "You will pay for your interference Tauri!" he screamed as he was dragged from the room.

Later Glorfindel returned to the sick room to find everyone seated and becoming acquainted or renewing old ties. With him he brought Arwen and a babe in arms, a little figure also peeked from behind her skirts. "Well this is a merry meeting," Glorfindel said as he looked at the returning colour in his sick guest's face. "I have arranged for food to be brought here, I think we will have a celebration of Rivendell's deliverance from a spy and for new friends."

Jack looked at him for a moment and then replied, "I think Sam and Teal'c need to check your hall to see if there was only one. Then we maybe can celebrate a little."

"How do they do that? Gimli asked. "How do they know when the enemy is here?"

Jack looked at Legolas who nodded encouragement to share his team's special gift. "Carter was possessed by a Tokra, this is one of our 'friends' who may help you get Denola back. The Tokra died in Carter but saved her, that was when we believed them when they said they were not Goa'uld. Now because of what happened, Carter can sense when a Goa'uld or Tokra is near."

"That was also how I knew my blood would not be good for the Colonel. I have a marker in my blood that has changed it and my perception of some parts of the world around me. That weapon that Denola had, I can also use it up to a point." Sam said and Aragorn turned to look at Teal'c.

Before he could ask a question or Jack could continue Teal'c spoke. "The Jaffa of which I am one were bred to carrying the larval form of the Goa'uld. I still carry one of these creatures because I cannot survive without one in my body. It is young and cannot control me, but one day it will be grown and wish to take a host."

"We will have to find a replacement for Junior or a way to end Teal'c's dependence on it," Jack finished. "Teal'c, would you mind showing these people the face of their enemy?"

Sam noticed the he was becoming a little pale and interrupted, "Sir you need some rest now."

"In a minute," Jack responded, "Teal'c it is important they all understand what is wrong with Denola."

Teal'c nodded and stood up and opened the front of his shirt. They could all see the pouch of flesh across his belly as he thrust his hand in and pulled out Junior. Arwen grabbed her two children and backed hurriedly away, but Aragorn barely flinched.

"That can control another being?" he asked.

"Totally, it cannot be resisted," Sam commented.

"It is intelligent, it creates all these weapons?" he also asked.

"So," Jack eyed him with a new respect, "you know they are not magicians?"

"That is now apparent. Put it away Teal'c it is causing you distress I think to have it removed," Aragorn said quietly.

Teal'c nodded and replaced Junior and slumped into a seat to recover. Sam Gamgee went to his friend and rubbed his arm in sympathy. Teal'c eyed him curiously and pulled a chair forward for Sam to sit beside him.

Jack looked at the group surrounding his bed and said softly, "now we just need to find what they want and dislodge them from your world."

Aragorn smiled and added, "I have a message for you from a mutual friend. He said to tell you he was now interested."

Jack smiled and murmured, "Tree Beard. Now what have they done to piss you off?" then he slipped into sleep even though the room was full of people. They all quietly got up and moved into the next room to allow him to sleep.

**Reviews would be welcome. **


	10. Chapter 10

**OK so I have been home sick the past couple of days, but sleeping continually drives me nuts so I have been spending a lot more time writing than normal. Maybe being unwell has made this bit easier to write! LOL**

Jack woke up in the same room but alone. He felt his injured shoulder and tightened his fingers slightly, _'only a little pain, that is unexpected.'_ He gingerly sat up and found his head did not spin and his arm was now strapped securely to his chest. As no one was there he swung his feet over the side of the bed and tried to stand. To his surprise he could do that also without his head spinning and began to wonder how long he had been asleep. He reached for his pants and was trying to manoeuvre into them when Daniel entered. To his further surprise Daniel just wandered across the room and sat on the arm of the nearest chair watching him for a moment.

"Do you want a hand with that?" Daniel enquired mildly.

"It is just a little awkward with one hand," Jack replied dryly and Daniel stood up to help him. He moved behind Jack and was in the act of pulling his trousers straight when Sam walked into the room.

She stopped at the door and her eyebrows rose a small smile appearing on her lips. "What are you to doing?"

"What does it look like," Jack snapped back.

"Haaa, well…" she responded mischievously and Daniel stepped rapidly back from him a glow appearing on his cheeks. Sam chuckled but did not continue to rib them; she still wasn't sure how far she could push a joke with her team mates.

"How long have I been out?" Jack asked suspiciously.

"Aragorn has kept you 'resting' for three days. He suspected that you would not make a good invalid and agreed that we could let you wake when you were well enough to rise." Sam watched her Colonel as she commented, "he is a good judge of character," and kept a straight face. Jack eyed his second in command but could find no quip with which to retort instead he asked about SG Command. "I contacted them two days ago and gave General Hammond an update. He said he will talk to you today, the radios work fine from this elevation. No interference between here and the Stargate. If and when we cross to Mirkwood it will be a different story. We will need some kind of relay on the mountains." Jack was busily trying to tuck his shirt into his pants, "would you like a little help sir?" Sam asked innocently.

"Why sure Carter," Jack replied raising his own eyebrows and Sam had to muffle a giggle at the sparkle that appeared in his eyes.

"I'll help," Daniel interrupted and tucked in the shirt under Jack's injured arm.

"How much time before we need to contact the SGC?" Jack asked as he picked up a glass of water that had been left for him to drink.

He sniffed it before taking a mouthful and Sam laughed, "it is not doctored Sir. The Stargate will be opened at 1400 hours. You have 6 hours to kill. Teal'c and I have done a thorough search of Rivendell and can find no trace of any other Goa'uld presence. If there is another spy he would have to be an elf traitor and I just do not think that is at all likely."

"Thanks you for your confidence in my people Sam," a voice rose from beyond the door and then Glorfindel entered. "It is good to see you looking better than when we first met."

"I am afraid I do not remember meeting you and the conversation we have had is a little vague," Jack commented and then offered his hand. "You are Glorfindel I believe. Where is Legolas?"

"He will be here soon, as will all your friends now you are awake. I do not think you will get much rest today. Perhaps a small walk this morning to see our fair sanctuary would be beneficial." Glorfindel pointed to the window, "the view from my home is wonderfully calming. I will go now and let Aragorn and the others know that you have risen earlier than anticipated, by all except these two who obviously know you very well," he finished with a smile and then left them.

"Daniel and I should go find Teal'c," Sam said diffidently suddenly loath to leave him alone again.

"Fine, gives me time to eat some breakfast before you descend again," Jack responded and shooed them out of the room. If truth be told he wanted some time to himself to analyse their situation and the next probable moves. He walked to the window which led out onto a large balcony. Beyond the balcony he could see a small river cascading over the top edge of the vale and down into the small valley below. The constant sound of distant thunder finally explained, he stood taking in the view of the water, trees and the pretty dwellings carefully placed within the narrow landscape. "This would be some place to retire too," he spoke aloud thinking he was alone but a voice disabused him of that idea.

"It is a beautiful place, but you should see Lothlorien. If you like trees it will be a wonder to you." Legolas crossed the balcony to stand beside him and smiled. "You look so much better than when we arrived. Glorfindel said you asked for me."

"That I did Legolas my friend. I guess I would look better now, I believe I owe you my life," Jack commented as he turned away from the scene.

"We may not have saved you if Sam had not thought of the blood. You do this often on your world?"

"I have had a blood transfusion once or twice in my career," Jack answered dryly, "I do seem to make a habit of getting hurt."

"You are often in dangerous situations it would seem. Your 'career' is not necessarily good for your health; but then if not for your career you would not be here to help us is that not true?"

"Yes Legolas, that is true. How about showing me a little of Rivendell and for a little while we can talk…" Jack began.

"Of anything but the trouble we must soon face," Legolas finished and Jack turned a genuinely relaxed smile to the new friend he was so in tune with. When Sam came back to the room a few minutes later Jack was nowhere to be seen. She let out an exasperated sigh and walked across to the now cleared table to set up the radio link so that everyone would be able to hear and participate that afternoon. When she had finished she took a chair out to the balcony and sat staring at the waterfall.

That is where Jack and Legolas found her three hours later fast asleep in the chair, her head back and a small snuffling sound emanating from her nose. Jack grinned when he saw her and his eyes softened. Legolas watched him and then asked quietly, "why do you not tell her?"

Jack did not even look at him but the grin disappeared, "we work together, it is not allowed."

"Whether it is allowed or not will make no difference to how you react under fire Jack, Do your people not see that?"

Jack took Legolas's arm and moved off of the balcony. He looked back at the still figure and responded, "They do. That is why I can never show her how I feel."

"Or she show you," Legolas stated.

Jack looked at him and shook his head, "what we do is important to us, we will not jeopardise our positions. Even if I was certain that she… I could not do that to her, her career is the most important thing in her life."

Legolas looked at the sleeping form and changed the subject, "we will need to wake her soon or everyone will hear that strange sound she is making."

Jack grinned again and lifted his hand to try to scratch his shoulder. "Better get this dressing replaced before 1400 hours or I will be fidgeting and that is not good for my concentration. The pair of them crept back out of the room as Jack asked, "where is everyone?"

"I think you will find Teal'c with Aragorn, they seem to have a lot to discuss. Does Teal'c realise that Aragorn is a King?" Legolas asked as Jack sat down and began dismantling the sling.

"I should think so, but he spent years following the orders of a god, king just does not seem such a lofty position," Jack joked.

Legolas smiled but tilted his head as he studied him, "do you not take anything seriously Jack?"

"I try not too. Life's to short as they say. Where is Daniel?"

"He is with Sam Gamgee and Gimli. He is asking Gimli about dwarves and my old friend is pleased to have such a ready listener. Does Daniel never get tired of stories?"

"Nope, do you never get tired of asking questions?" Jack responded and then hissed and Legolas leaned forward to help him remove the last of the padding.

"It is healing very quickly," Legolas commented as he looked the wound over.

"Aragorn and Sam have done a good job. Janet should be pleased with it when I get back."

"Janet?"

"The main doctor, err healer at the SGC," Jack explained. There was silence then as Legolas helped him replace the padding with a lighter bandage and made him put his arm back in the sling, which he did grudgingly. Jack looked up as he settled his arm into place to find Sam staring over Legolas's shoulder.

"Looks like a proficient job," she commented sourly.

"What is wrong Carter," was Jack's surprised response.

"Nothing sir, oh well everyone seems to have something to do except me," she complained and became irritated with herself for whinging. "Do not mind me sir I have been away from my laboratory for to long," she smiled briefly and walked away.

"Laboratory?" Legolas enquired.

Jack looked at the retreating back of his second in command and whispered, "she's the closest thing we have to a wizard."

"I heard that!" Sam called back and the smile reappeared on her face as she disappeared back into the other room.

At the assigned time that afternoon everyone was gathered together for the conference. The various people of Middle Earth were sat around staring at the little black box which appeared so important to their new friends. Sam and Daniel sat on a couch together a little way from the table and Jack sat beside it. Teal'c stood close to the window staring out at the scene. Suddenly a voice appeared out of the box. "SG1 are you receiving us?"

"This is Colonel O'Neill," Jack responded. "Still at Rivendell Sir." Aragorn smiled slightly at the first time he had heard Jack use that respectful name and tone.

"I will make this as brief as I can then. The Tok-Ra are sending a ship to the planet co-ordinates and that should be with you in about five days. They want to know how they will find you," Hammond informed them.

"Send them a copy of the map in the Lord of The Rings book, it is accurate on perspective. They should be able to match it with the land mass," Jack explained trying to keep the smile out of his voice.

"O'Neill is enjoying this far too much," Teal'c commented quietly to Sam Gamgee who had moved to stand next to him.

"Why?" Sam asked in a puzzled tone.

"Because no one would believe him the first time we came here and he was lost," Teal'c explained.

"Did you not believe him Teal'c?"

"I always believe O'Neill when he is being serious," Teal'c responded.

"About that book," Hammond began and then hesitated.

"Sir," Daniel piped up from the couch, "I have an idea about that. There is a book that is mentioned in the book. What I mean is…"

"Spit it out son, we don't have an endless amount of time," Hammond responded.

"Well I think someone went through the gate when it was first dug up, from here I mean."

"That does not explain the story about us that the elves have been telling for a couple of hundred years," Jack cut in.

"Oh but it could Sir," Sam interrupted. "Remember the sun spots saga."

"Sun spots?" Aragorn spoke up puzzled.

"I will explain later," Sam responded quickly and then returned to her explanation. "Daniel told me about the other book and I think I can guess at what has happened or will happen."

"Your guesses are usually good Major, continue," Hammond encouraged.

"Well, someone has or will take a copy of the book to earth and arrive one hundred years ago at the dig. For some reason Tolkien must have been there. Then when they tried to return they got jumped back a further hundred years and came home early," Sam finished and waited for someone to disagree with her.

"Well after finding myself in the 1960s for a while I can buy that explanation," Jack responded, "but who will go back. They can not have gone yet you see Carter, because they would have had to known about us."

"Of course Sir, why did I not think of that," Sam added as the realisation sank in.

"You can't think of everything," Jack responded.

"So now we just have to find a way to kill Indra and the Jaffa," Jack responded, "we can not let them off this planet."

"Why not," Aragorn asked, "if we cut off the head…"

"It will not work Aragorn," Jack interrupted.

"O'Neill is correct in this," Teal'c suddenly entered the conversation, "Indra, his ship and all his people disappeared. The System Lords do not know where he is so they have no contact with him. If any of them escape they will take the position of this planet back with them." Then he turned to talk directly to Hammond, "this planet is not known to the System Lords, I do not know where Indra came by the symbols."

"That is right Sir," Sam confirmed. "We found this by accident with the computer program I was running on random symbol combinations. It was the first viable planet it had turned up."

"So for the safety of this world we must ensure one snakehead never leaves here," Jack observed.

"As you say Colonel, perhaps it would be wise but I don't know how to sell this to the Pentagon."

A sardonic laugh surprised the room as Jack replied, "tell them it is an unknown and safe address. A refuge for us in the event of a worse case scenario that should do it."

A laugh issued from the box as Hammond replied, "that may well do it. Let us know what you need and do it soon as we will have to move it all through the Stargate."

"Unless the Tok-Ra have what we need. After all they should be more than willing to wipe out a missing Goa'uld. That should not upset the balance of power," the irony of Jack's response was not lost on Hammond.

"Play nice Colonel O'Neill," he responded.

"Yes Sir," Jack confirmed and switched off the radio. "Well it appears that whatever Indra is after is of secondary importance. We need to obliterate him before he can tell anyone else that you exist."

"That would seem a logical course of action," Glorfindel responded, "but I am reluctant to destroy a whole race of being."

"You will not be," Daniel told him. "They need destroying to safeguard your world. I…" Suddenly he stood up and walked out of the room. The sudden raw emotion surprised everyone except Jack.

"You will have to excuse Daniel, the Goa'uld took his wife,, Sam explained. "She is now host to one of them and he does not know where she is. Sometimes I think it would have been better if she had died, at least he would have closure."

"That would not make him hate them any less Carter," Jack responded.

"Indeed," Teal'c responded as he followed his friend from the room.

"So now we must find a way to defeat these beings," Aragorn stated and Jack could now clearly see King Elessar and understood his need to protect his people.

"I would think penetrating their defences and destroying the ship would be the first thing to achieve," Jack commented. "We cannot let one glider escape or one Jaffa get through the Stargate."


	11. Chapter 11

"I would think penetrating their defences and destroying the ship would be the first thing to achieve," Jack commented. "We cannot let one glider escape or one Jaffa get through the Stargate."

"We need an army around this Stargate," Aragorn commented as he followed Jack to the other room were he carefully sat on a couch and settled his shoulder which had begun aching. "Tired?" Aragorn asked.

Jack ignored the comment. "We need someone with them who can handle their fire power. They could decimate your people just with their staff weapons. We can get the SGC to send a couple of teams through to back your people up. You will need them particularly if the Jaffa tries to attack them with Gliders, that would not be good."

"So a combined army of Middle Earth and Tauri will secure the Chaapai," Aragorn confirmed a frown forming as he considered their options. Jack noticed that Aragorn was using 'Teal'c speak' to refer to them and the Gate. _'They must have spent a long time talking, I wonder how much Teal'c has told you_'. It was just as well that Jack trusted his friend's judgement on how much information was enough.

Everyone else had followed them into the room and were busily finding seating and moving up to surround the two men. Glorfindel commented, "that deals with one point but how do we stop them from taking to the skies and leaving that way?"

"I am hoping the Tok-Ra will be able to help with that, which means we have a minimum five day window to prepare the attack. It will take longer than that to get your people to defend the Gate anyway. The SGC could have people there within the hour of our next contact so that point is not too much of a concern." Jack's eyes came to rest on Sam's face and he could see the mind behind the eyes racing. "What is it Carter?" he asked.

"Why are they wasting energy on screens here? They cannot be afraid of attack by the people of this planet. Oh, sorry," she looked round, "I didn't mean…"

"It is fine Sam," Legolas reassured her, "no one here will be insulted. We know you have weapons that we do not possess."

"We also know now that these Goa'uld have weapons that you do not possess," Aragorn added raising a questioning eyebrow.

"Yes they do," Jack confirmed, "and the screen Carter speaks of is one of them. While it covers their main ship we cannot penetrate it. We need to know when they turn it off, if they turn it off." Jack glanced at the doorway as Daniel and Teal'c came in to join them.

Daniel smiled briefly and muttered sorry and Jack nodded. They both found places to sit and Daniel asked brightly, "what have we missed?"

"We have the Stargate protected and Sam is worrying about a… screen," Sam Gamgee piped up and everyone ginned at him.

"We know at least one person has been attending," Aragorn responded with a gentle smile.

"That will mean sending some people to watch them for a while." Legolas commented looking to Glorfindel for agreement. "That is a task that should fall to my people. We can be silent and secretive in need and we know the area well."

"What Legolas says is true but they may miss something because they do not recognise its importance," Aragorn commented and Jack nodded at the possibility.

"Then I think one of you should come with me and two other Lothlorien elves who are here at Rivendell now," Legolas responded and Jack frowned. "What is it Jack, do you think we cannot do this?"

"No," he responded. "I was thinking it would have to be Teal'c or Carter who would go with you. I would be a liability and Daniel is not primarily a soldier. Do not scowl Danny, you will get your chance to fight before this is over."

Daniel laughed and responded, "well if you can not go I suppose I can not moan about being left behind."

"Teal'c should go," Sam responded. "I need to get to the mountains to set up a couple of relays to allow communication to the other side of that mountain range or we will lose contact with him and Legolas."

"Then some of my people will go with you to do that," Glorfindel responded, "and we shall all feel useful."

A sprinkling of laughter died away quickly. "What is it you wish of me?" Gimli asked quietly a frown on his face as he thought himself forgotten.

Aragorn looked across at his old friend. "We need you and Sam to take a group of my soldiers to Lothlorien and tell them of everything that is happening. They know and trust you and we need you to prepare them for the coming battle."

"And the eventual hunt," Jack put in coldly. "We will have to find and neutralise every last possible danger."

"That, I understand as kill every one of the invaders," Gimli returned with a growl of satisfaction and Sam clapped his hands as he realised he had something to do at last.

"Then it is settled," Aragorn announced, "the dye is set and the future of Middle Earth is again decided in this House."

"I think we need to teach Gimli and Sam to use a radio so they can take it with them," Jack told Carter. "That way we will have one radio per group for contact, but that will make your relays essential."

"I understand Sir," Sam responded. "I will not let you down."

Jack looked around at the group of people who would soon be going their separate ways and sighed in frustration, "be careful all of you. Indra did not become a System Lord by being stupid. He may be diverted by whatever he is looking for but it will not last. You can guarantee that if he finds it, whatever it is, it will not be good for us."

**OK so now I need some imput from you. Do I finish this story with the arrival of the Tok-Ra and the battle, or do you want to know the details of what happens to each of the groups sent to spy and prepare? The first way will give you two more chapters, the second could be five or more. Please let me know.**

**It will be another week before I post the next chapter, I have a busy week ahead and less time to write.****  
**


	12. Chapter 12

**I know I said a week but this story has got me now and I have managed to make time, LOL**

The following morning a small crowd gathered in the courtyard as horses were led out for the first of the travellers. For the first part of their journey, Sam and two Rivendell elves would travel with Legolas his two cousins and Teal'c. It had been decided that Gimli, Sam and his party would leave later by another route to avoid a large contingent being seen travelling over the mountains.

Aragorn was sending Arwen South to their home with the remaining contingent of men. They were to take the news of the war to the Gondor and on to Rohan to call the riders to their aid. "Time is precious as we do not know this evil one's intention and we must defeat him before he gains what he seeks. I fear that Jack is right and that it will cause us further harm if he succeeds."

Arwen took her small child up to her horse and her squire took the older child. They were all on horse back to speed the journey south. "I look to see you before the week is out," she told her husband.

"Do not leave the children alone in the city. It may be the city will need your counsel before this is over." Aragorn pulled his lady down to kiss her goodbye. "I will see you when this fight is ended and we shall celebrate the removal of this blight from Middle Earth."

Arwen knew it was useless to argue when he had decided and settled into her saddle sadly. She did not want to leave her husband but knew she would not be able to help in the coming battle. "Be safe Aragorn," she whispered as he kissed her, "there will be another soon who will need your care and counsel." With that she turned her horse and followed the vanguard of soldiers from the courtyard.

Aragorn watched her leave with a curious expression on his face. "Something wrong?" Jack asked him as he joined the next party to leave.

"No indeed," Aragorn answered and smiled, "it seems I am to be a father again."

"Congratulations Sir," Sam responded taking a minute from loading her horse. "It is a good job I brought four of these relays sir," she continued with their conversation. "I hope the power will last or we will all be in the dark."

"I'm sure you will do your best Sam. We will see you in about four days, I suspect you will want to be here when the Tok-Ra arrive."

"Yes sir, maybe… Well yes I would," she finished and turned back to her work.

About an hour later the whole group rode from the courtyard and headed towards the mountain pass slightly north of Rivendell. During the afternoon Gimli and his group headed for the pass further south, the shorter route to Lothlorien.

As Jack and Daniel watched the last of the groups leave a silence fell between them. Jack jerked his head to indicate they head back to the house and Daniel nodded. They walked up past the waterfall and stopped to watch it fall onto the rocks. "Do you think we will all get lucky this time," Daniel asked in a subdued voice

"I don't know Danny boy but I am wishing my shoulder will perform a miracle in the next couple of days. I think I am going to need both my arms real soon."

**Sam Carter's Mission**

As Rivendell dwindled in size behind them the seven riders settled in for an easy canter north to the Old Forest Road. The old road led to a relatively simple passage through the Misty Mountains to the plain beyond. They were counting on the Jaffa movement being through the pass higher up the range and near to the Mother Ship's landing point. If there were Jaffa in the pass they needed to use, Legolas and Teal'c would have a difficult time arriving at Mirkwood unnoticed.

Sam decided that she and her two escorts would leave the group just before the pass to follow a rising trail the elves had assured her was there. It would take them into the mountains on their east side. Even before they reached the road Sam could see that the peaks looked tall. Putting the relays on one peak would not be possible they would have to act as transmitters through at a lower level. She hoped that four relays would be sufficient to ensure a good receptive cover for both sides of the mountains. Still she had a day to ponder her dilemma before the group would reach the parting of their ways.

After an hour or so of Sam analysing how best to use her meagre supplies she began to take more notice of her surroundings. Despite the rivers and the apparent abundance of water the land was open with few trees. She allowed her horse to drop back to ride beside one of the elves who would be accompanying her. "Why is there so few trees here?" she asked him.

Mizarusa looked across at the woman he was to protect and slowed his horse slightly so they could talk. He smiled and his blue eyes twinkled as he responded. "There were many more trees here a long time ago, but they left and moved through the mountains to join Fangorn and Mirkwood."

"Ents? You are talking about Ents being here?" Sam queried.

"The Ents are tree herders. They have been here longer even than the elves. Many have gone now as the Orcs cut them down to use in their furnaces. There is also a story that tells of the Ent Wives leaving and never being found again. Man also has begun to cut down trees; they do not understand or do not believe that trees can have intelligence and life."

Sam blushed as she remembered her reaction at Jack O'Neill's debriefing. "I am as guilty as the next person," she confessed and his smile widened but he made no comment. "I mean I thought Colonel O'Neill had been hallucinating when we got him back from here the first time. What I mean is…"

"That on your world trees do not speak to you," Mizarusa finished for her, "unless you are delusional of course."

Sam grinned, "precisely!"

"I feel a little sorry for your Colonel O'Neill; he must have had a difficult time."

"I am afraid we did pull his leg a little," Sam confessed.

"Pull his leg?" Mizarusa asked in a puzzled tone and Sam grinned as his tone reminded her of Teal'c.

Changing the subject she asked how much climbing they would have to do to reach the high points necessary for her task. They became lost in the discussion until a shout from Legolas brought their attention to the increasing gap between them and the others. Sam nudged her horse forward and they galloped the short distance to catch them up. It was well into the evening when they reached the road and galloped along to their point of separation. They stopped in the shadow of the tall peaks of the Misty Mountains and made camp. They would go their separate ways at first light.

As Sam watched Teal'c riding away with Legolas she felt a little lost. It was like watching her last anchor with reality disappearing into the early morning mist. She shuddered as the early morning air penetrated her clothing and turned to her remaining companions. "So where is this track that is going to save us most of the climb up to the first point," she asked.

Siriusanis pointed in the direction of the increasingly dense ground cover beside the pass entrance and Sam nudged her horse into a walk. "We can take the horses all but the last hundred feet here so it will not take us more than an hour to reach," he informed her as they forced their way through the last few metres of dense thorny brush.

"It does not get used much I would guess," Sam commented and then clamped her mouth shut as a particularly vicious thorn penetrated her trousers. The beginning of the rising track was a welcome sight.

"There is no reason for anyone to go up there. We do not know who or what created the track," Mizarusa told her and leaned down to check her leg.

"It is fine," Sam told him.

"That is why I can see blood," he retorted and then Sam looked down and realised she was bleeding quite badly.

"It was just a thorn, I'll stick a plaster on it later." She responded and laughed. "We need to get at least two peaks done today, a third if possible. I am not stopping for scratches." The elves grinned back at her but Mizarusa shook his head. "You should be more careful of the plant and animal life here, some have unpleasant toxins and irritants."

Sam rolled her eyes and sighed, "now they tell me." The three of them laughed as they made there way up and Sam felt less lost. "Are you always called by your full names?"

"You can call us Sirius and Mizar. Is Sam not your full name, I noticed that Teal'c and O'Neill call you Carter," Mizar commented.

"My full name is Samantha Carter. My friends call me Sam. The Colonel calls me Carter as it is protocol to use our surnames." The conversation ceased as the track became too narrow for more than one horse at a time. It also required a little concentration on the ground as the track was overgrown and broken up in places.

They had the first relay set up by mid morning and settled for a drink and something to eat before moving on. Sam got out her P90 and cleaned and checked after she had eaten. Sirius sat beside her watching her work on the weapon but asked no questions until it was reassembled. "How does it work?" The voice beside her made her start as cleaning her weapon had become a form of relaxation over the years and she had zoned out. Sam showed both of them how the weapon was fired. Then they descended to the horses and rode swiftly through a hidden valley within the mountain range. The next climb was steeper and they had farther to walk to reach a point were they had line of sight of the position of the first relay and line of sight of the next peak.

"The mountains in this part of the range are not the tallest and are making our work a little easier," Sirius commented as they gazed around the mountains surrounding them.

"This is not as bad as it looks," Mizar added, "that mountain over to the left…just there," he continued as he pointed. "It has a high plateau which allows you to see this place here and down to the plains and Mirkwood beyond. If we understand what you are trying to achieve it should be the last place we need to place these instruments."

Sam grinned at her companions then turned to begin the setting up. "It is beginning to get dark. It is going to be a little more hazardous going down."

"A long walk back to the horse, but it will get cold up here. We will be more protected down below," Sirius commented as he handed her the correct box from the pack.

"You are a quick learner," she commented.

"I am interested in new things," Sirius responded. "It diminishes the call of the sea."

Sam looked at him in surprise, "you prefer the sea to this beautiful place?"

Mizar glanced down at Sam working and commented, "we all feel the call of the Havens when once we have seen the sea. Some of us more than others," he concluded with a brief smile at Sirius.

"Well let's finish this and go light a fire, I already feel the chill on the air," Sam shivered.

"I will go down now and make the camp up for the night. I think it is going to be a cold one," Mizar agreed and disappeared down the rough surface of the steep path they had climbed. Sam and Sirius followed less than an hour later and were glad to be down. They sat in a hollow beside a small fire and ate then settled to sleep.

Sirius took first watch and checked on the horses, when he returned Sam was already fast asleep. Mizar was sat watching her and Sirius joined them by the fire. "Morning Star will call if there is anything amiss, we should all rest it will be a tiring climb tomorrow. That last peak may be what we need but it is treacherous," he commented.

"Sam is a capable woman, I do not believe she will fail," Mizar retorted.

"You like this woman?" Sirius questioned.

"She is courageous, a fighter and highly intelligent. She has humour and gentleness, there is much to admire."

Sirius smiled gently at his friend, "you are infatuated," he suggested.

"Without a doubt," Mizar replied and smiled back, "how could I not be?"


	13. Chapter 13

Sam stared up at the last hundred feet of the climb to the last peak. Her arms and legs were shaking from the exertion as she looked for the next hand hold. Mizar was above her and Sirius below. The climb had taken over an hour and it was a long way back down. At least going down would not take so long, _'been a while since I climbed anything this difficult,'_ Sam thought to herself. Suddenly the rock face crumbled and her foot slipped. She swung out holding on by her fingertips and felt the rope tighten. She hung for a moment and then felt for a new foot hold. One foot gripped and she tested her weight, fine. The other foot slightly higher, checked the small crevice for stability, OK. Sam took a breath and looked up the rock face to see Mizar's face filled with concern. "I am fine!" she shouted and then felt for the next hand hold. A couple more feet and she could rest for a short while on the ledge above her. As she reached over the ledge to lever herself up Mizar caught her hand and pulled her quickly onto the ledge. He held her tightly for a moment while she found her balance and then slowly, almost reluctantly released her. Sam looked up at him in surprise but Mizar was looking over the ledge for Sirius and left Sam puzzled by what she did or did not just sense. Another couple of minutes and Sirius had joined them on the narrow ledge. They anchored to the rock face and sat down as there was just enough room for all three to do that.

"I thought you were going to slip right off there for a moment," Sirius commented when he had got his breath back.

"So did I," Sam replied with a grin. "I really should climb more often. We never know when we might need to."

"Not far to go now," Mizar said looking toward the top of the climb. "The rest is a little easier, no overhang now and angled away from us a little."

"Nice," Sam responded in an ironic tone, "Easier climb then." Mizar grinned but he was right and all three were shortly clambering on to a small flat area set away from the main mountain.

When Sam looked back she could see the last peak they had climbed. Looking beyond the mountain range to the east a huge vista opened up. A broad plain spread out from the foot of the mountain and in the distance Mirkwood could be seen. Down towards the south the smaller woodland of Fangorn could be seen and to the north the Grey Mountains below which the enemy was encamped. "This is perfect for our needs, clear line of sight in every direction. Let me get started, the sooner I finish the sooner we can get back to Rivendell." So saying Sam dived into the packs and began assembling the transmitter relay.

A couple of hours later Sam had dropped back to the ledge and was securely anchoring herself when she heard a familiar noise. " Mizar!" she hollered, "Glider!"

Both elves dropped to the ground but they had all already been seen. The glider attacked and sent rock splinters flying around Sam on the rock face and then swooped on up over the peak. Sirius grabbed for the P90 and began firing as the glider rose over the edge and managed to hit it. The glider fired back and an explosion took Sirius and Mizar off their feet but the glider was mortally wounded. It spun out of control and disappeared back over the edge. The elves heard it explode into the ground but it had done a great deal of damage.

The completed relay lay in ruins and Sirius lay still. Mizar pushed himself up and ran to his friend and turned him over. "I believe I am injured," Sirius murmured, "Yes, I am definitely injured," he added as he stared at the blood on his hands. Then he looked at Mizar, "where is Sam?"

Mizar looked over the edge and could see the rope hanging taut against the rock face. "Sam! Sam!" He shouted but there was no response. "I will be back in a minute." he called to Sirius who waved at him to go and he climbed down to the ledge. Sam was swinging from the rope just below the ledge, but there was no sign of life. In a panic Mizar hauled her up and over, lying her along the ledge. She was unconscious but alive with a very large bruise and some grazing on her face. Mizar climbed back to the top and hauled her back up as carefully as he could. Then he picked her up and carried her to where Sirius lay.

As he put her down Sam moaned and her eyes flickered open. Mizar's face was just inches from her own and she put her hand to her head as she muttered, "we have to stop meeting like this."

Mizar laughed with relief but then told her, "Sirius is hurt and the relay has been destroyed."

She sat up quickly and groaned as someone hammered at the inside of her skull. "Sirius! Let me see." She crawled to her friend and began to check his wounds. All but one had stopped bleeding on their own. The wound in his side was deeper and she sent Mizar for her field pack, still in the equipment pile by the edge of the climb. For a while all that concerned her was stopping the bleeding and protecting the wound. "At least we only have to lower you down," she told him, "and you are not too heavy, being an elf an all." Sirius smiled faintly at her as the pressure she was applying to the wound made him feel a little queasy.

When they had settled him to rest Sam walked over to look at the relay. Mizar followed her and looked down at the wrecked equipment, "can you repair it?"

"No, but I don't have to. We will leave this visible here in case someone else comes looking for the downed glider and searches. I have another relay and can jury-rig the rest of it. We'll hide it over the other side completely separate from this. With luck no one will find it." Sam looked back at Sirius, "we need to get him back as soon as possible."

"I agree. What should I do to help now?" Mizar asked and Sam smiled at him then grimaced a little at the stretching bruise on her forehead. "This is going to hurt for days," she groaned.

With the last relay in place they carefully descended from the peak without further incident. Sam insisted on inspecting the crash site before they left and made sure there was nothing left for the Goa'uld to salvage. Then they loaded Sirius onto Morning Star and the sure footed horse tried to give his friend a smooth ride as they made their way back through the mountains.

Their last night under the stars was only four hours north of Rivendell but Sam was concerned about pushing on. She did not want to tire Sirius anymore than he already was. He insisted he could make it, she insisted that he was not going to try. Mizar sat back and watched his friend arguing with her and knew that he would lose and smiled. "I will make a fire," was all he said.

As they road towards Rivendell the following morning a ship flew overhead startling the elves and horses. As they regained control Mizar noticed that Sam looked excited rather than worried by the incident. "It is the Tok'Ra that is a Tel'tak. They can not only help Denola they will have a healing device which they can use on the Colonel and Sirius." Sam did not say that she also hoped her father would be on the ship."


	14. Chapter 14

**Teal'c and Legolas Go Hunting**

Teal'c turned in his saddle as they rode away. He sensed that Carter was not comfortable being left with the elves and sympathized. He knew from experience that finding oneself reliant on strangers was not a good feeling. The Tauri had repaid his faith in them tenfold in the time he had been with them, even if the beginning was a little fraught. He knew however, as Carter also knew that the elves could be trusted. Just the same he was glad that he was with Legolas as he already knew him to be a capable warrior. The two members of his family also looked very capable. Teal'c puts the other members of the team to the back of his mind and concentrated on what he needed to do now.

The four riders traveled in silence for some time each scanning the rocks and crevices within the passage. Although the Old Forest Road was not used a great deal through the mountains it was relatively clear and even. The passage wove around the steep valleys between the sides of the mountains. Mostly the sides of the passage rose steeply leaving little room for an enemy to hide. There was a stillness and unease about the place which became heightened as the afternoon progressed and the sun no longer shone down onto the road.

"This is a cheerless road," Legolas commented when they stopped to eat. "I shall be pleased to be out of here and on the plains beyond."

"There are no trees here," Teal'c observed, "and very little life. It makes for an unloved place."

"Yes," Legolas responded in surprise, "that is exactly it. No life. I long to be in Mirkwood again with the trees and smell of green growth."

"We also are excited to be going home again at last," Haldir spoke up and looked with longing in the direction of his home. "Do you feel so Selendir," he asked his brother.

"Yes it will be good to walk under the trees again," he responded with a smile. "I do not however regret the journey to Rivendell to meet our cousin," he nodded at Legolas. "He has again brought us such interesting guests!"

Legolas and Haldir laughed and Teal'c raised an eyebrow which for him was eloquence enough. The elves laughed even more at his expression and the tinkling laughter echoed from the surrounding rocks. Then they remounted and went forward at a brisk pace trying to put the mountains behind them before nightfall. In this they succeeded and set up their camp in a stand of trees by a tributary running to the river Anduin from the Misty Mountains.

As they sat beside a small smoke free fire and began settling for the night they spoke in hushed tones. The wide open plains surrounding their little haven were swept by in brisk wind and they knew that the sounds of their presence would travel a long way on the night air. "This will be our last fire for a few days," Selendir commented as he warmed a drink made from crushed herbs for them to drink.

Teal'c nodded and showed that he had taken notice of what he had learned since arriving on Middle Earth. "It would be unwise to light a fire within the forest, it will make the trees nervous."

"And angry trees are not what we want to face. You are right Teal'c," Legolas agreed. "I wonder what has upset Tree Beard enough for him to wish to aid us?"

"I think we may find out before this task is complete," Teal'c noted. "I must Kel-no-reem now to be ready for tomorrow!"

Teal'c moved away from the elves and settled cross legged on the ground facing the fire. They watched as he dropped into a trancelike state. "What is he doing?" Haldir asked Legolas curiously.

"Teal'c carries the child of the enemy within him," Legolas explained and Haldir looked alarmed. Legolas shook his head and smiled calmly. "If he removes the 'snake-child' from within the pouch in which he carries it, he will die. It has no power to control him as the adult snake in Denola does. Jack hopes that they will find a cure for Teal'c before this parasite is old enough to do him harm. Until then Teal'c must rest and allow it to heal his wounds and refresh him or they will both suffer. It is a strange pact he has with this creature he hates. They need each other to survive, but they hate each other."

Selendir shuddered as he looked at Teal'c but sympathy was in his face. "I do not know if I would be strong enough to live with that burden every day."

"What do you mean?" Haldir asked in a puzzled tone.

"The fear that I could one day harm my friends," Selendir explained and both Legolas and Haldir looked at Teal'c thoughtfully as that had not occurred to either.

"He is a good Jaffa, brave and true. Jack will find a way to help his friend or Sam will. I believe in these people."

"But why do they trust him," Selendir questioned.

"Because he defied a god to help them," Legolas explained. With that comment Legolas lay down and watched the stars glimmering through the branches of the trees. Slowly he dropped off to sleep. As the camp went quiet Teal'c heard a creaking sound and slowly turned his head. As he watched one of the trees twisted slowly and spread its canopy over the sleeping elves. Suddenly he was aware of a pair of eyes blinking in the upper trunk of the tree looking at him. He bowed his head to the Ent who in turn dipped his branches in acknowledgement. Then Teal'c went back to his Kel-no-reem.

The following day they reached Mirkwood undetected by the Goa'uld. They entered the woodland about the same time as Sam and her party reached the bottom of their third target area. They stayed just inside the woodland as they headed north, using the open ground to move quickly but staying close enough to use the woodland as cover if it was needed. Every time they entered the woodland to avoid a Jaffa patrol or Gliders overhead, Teal'c noticed a whispering in the trees. He looked at the elves but they either didn't notice or thought of it as normal.

That night they made a cold camp and slept within the confines of Mirkwood. As they settled to their rest the trees seemed to move closer and surround the camp with an impenetrable wall of trunks. Teal'c noticed Legolas and his cousins watching them surreptitiously and realised that they were aware of the trees protection. As he led down to sleep Teal'c looked up into the branches and spoke quietly. "Thank you for your protection today and this night." The trees rustled loudly and he thought he could almost hear a chuckling sound. A rare smile appeared on his face in the darkness as he thought that he now numbered trees amongst his friends.

Legolas was led on his side and his eyes glittered in the little starlight that penetrated their hiding place. As he heard the Jaffa thank the trees and the trees reaction to him he smiled. This was one of the most unusual individuals he had ever met. He said little and understood so much and made a good and faithful friend. Whatever tomorrow brought he knew he could rely on all his companions to do their best. Tomorrow they should achieve their objective, tomorrow or the next day Teal'c and he could hurry back to Rivendell. Haldir and Selendir would be headed to see Legolas father King Thranduil of the Mirkwood Realm to tell him of the plan to destroy the interlopers. He knew his father would endeavour to help in this. He wondered briefly what Gimli and Sam would find at Lothlorien as it had been sometime since he had been there and knew that many had gone with Galadriel to the Havens. He knew that the wise Celeborn would still be there and would welcome them. Finally sleep claimed him and even Teal'c slept that night. It was just as well that all slept until morning as it would be their last sleep for several days.


	15. Chapter 15

Legolas saw it first and stopped in horror. Teal'c grabbed the horse's bridle and pulled Legolas into hiding in the tree line. The horses of Haldir and Selendir carried their riders into the trees behind Legolas horse. Even though the two elves were similarly struck by the scene before them their horses sort to protect their friends. Mirkwood was dark where they entered and the air was stifling as they felt the horror and brooding anger in the trees. The three elves dropped to the ground and hid their faces as they tried to regain control of their emotions.

Teal'c stole forward and stood inside the tree line looking out on the area. For miles all he could see was fire blackened land and tree stumps. A grey haze of ash hung in the wind and dimmed the distant mountains. Junior was churning in response to the unaccustomed emotion filling Teal'c as he looked on a massive area wiped clean of life. "No wonder Tree Beard is angry," Teal'c said quietly. "This is genocide a practice the Goa'uld are familiar with. They have realised that there is intelligence within the woodland, even if they do not know where it is seated. This is their way of dealing with it." He looked up into the trees around him with sadness. That they were intelligent on this planet had never been a problem for him, but this wanton destruction was. "We will avenge your brothers," he swore an oath to the intelligence he could feel present. The trees around him rustled in response to the oath.

He heard movement behind him and saw Legolas step up to look out on the devastation. There were tears in his eyes as he whispered, "it is an oath I will share with you brother. They will pay for this obscenity." A murmur from behind showed that the brothers were in agreement.

"This is going to make our task harder," Teal'c stated solemnly. There will be no place to hide while we perform our task." He noticed a flash of light in the distance below the Grey Mountains. "The Goa'uld ship is not many miles from here." He pointed, "that reflected light will be from its shining surface."

"We will have to travel at night and we have the cloaks from Lorien which will blend us with whatever surrounds us." Legolas stated, "but the horses must stay within the safety of the trees." Then he turned a serious look to Teal'c, "how fleet of foot are you?"

Teal'c considered the question for a moment and then a sardonic smile lit his face reminding Legolas of Jack. "I will run if you will. I do not know my limits, I have never had to try, but for the trees I will."

A sound behind them made the four turn and found themselves by a tall slender Elm with dark eyes blinking at them. "We waited as told," it said. A branch slowly descended in front of them with a large flask held securely in the twig ends. "I am to say that this is for stamina, not growth."

Legolas laughed despite the moment as he remembered Merry and Pippin's surprise at their increased height after drinking Ent water. "We are grateful for the aid you offer." He took the flask and offered it to Teal'c, "this will help you run for hours as will our small potion. There should be enough to keep us going for several days."

Teal'c looked at the flask, "we will probably need it."

Dusk darkened the skies over the damaged earth and they released their horses to shelter within Mirkwood. Then they stood at the edge of the trees and looked towards the darkening mountains. "In another hour the moon will begin to rise. There will be light for us to see by and we will be your eyes my friend," Haldir told Teal'c.

"I will have need of them. I do not see in the darkness well," Teal'c retorted and took a sip of the flask he had been given. It seemed to him that he felt a fresh energy course through him. "It is time to run." With that he left the trees at a slow pace and gradually speeded up as he realised he would be able to sustain the increased pace for some time. Legolas dropped in one side of him and Haldir the other Selendir brought up the rear. They ran through the night stopping only twice for a rest and by dawn they could see the Goa'uld ship rising in front of them.

They made it to a rocky prominence only a few minutes before a Glider patrol took off and made a circuit of the area. Then a transport took off towards the Grey Mountains to the north with the two Gliders as escort. "So," Haldir commented as they settled to shelter in the rocks. "their defences drop at dawn to let out patrols. That could be very useful."

"Yes," Legolas commented, "but we stay for the day to check for all patterns within the daylight hours."

"The screens would not be dropped during the night except for emergencies." Teal'c explained as he peered between the rocks, "it is safer to keep them up when they cannot see what may surround them."

"We will see what the day may bring. You two," Legolas pointed at his cousins, "make your way around carefully to the other side and watch. We meet here at dusk." they nodded and threw their cloaks across their shoulders and faded into the background.

"Useful tools," Teal'c commented and Legolas grinned.

"I will make you a present of one before this is over," the elf promised.

The day passed quietly enough as they studied their enemy's movements and registered the guard patterns and the periods the energy screen dropped. The guard changes were regular the screen power downs were not. As dusk neared the transport returned with its Glider escort and the screen dropped to let them land within the compound. Now Legolas was willing his cousins to return so that they could leave undetected.

A movement a few feet out from the rocks heralded their return and after a brief discussion about their day the four prepared for their run back to the safety of the trees. As darkness crept over the area lights began to appear within the compound. "We need to leave now," Teal'c whispered as he sensed danger. "The lights will blind them for a while but the outer guards eyes will adjust quickly." Understanding the peril of being highlighted by the lights they backed up and began running directly away with the rocky prominence between them and the ship. When they felt themselves far enough away they turned south towards Mirkwood again and made swift progress through the night.

Their progress back was a little slower due to increasing fatigue. They stopped four times during the night to give Teal'c time to recover as the potion was no longer helping for very long. When dawn came they were still a couple of miles from safety and they all heard the sound of the Glider behind them. They fell to the ground and spread the cloaks over all of them. The Glider passed overheard and on toward the wood and then circled and came back toward them. It appeared to be searching the ground thoroughly, it weaved back and forward over the area making it impossible for them to move. Then another sound was heard and the transport craft appeared and landed about half a mile from their position. "They are looking for us," Selendir whispered.

"They are certainly looking for something or some one," Legolas whispered in return. "We can not stay here, we will make a run for the trees."

They took off at a run, tiredness forgotten in the urgency of their flight. They were only a few feet from the trees when the Glider suddenly swooped and begun firing at them. They dived into the trees, but Haldir let out a curse as splintering wood penetrated his skin. "I am alright, little wounds," he called and kept running. The Glider swooped overhead and fired into the woodland a couple of times but could not see them through the trees.

The Jaffa from the transport penetrated the wood on foot to pursue them. They began to spread out as they searched deeper into the trees. Once the Jaffa had reached the darker recesses of the woodland the tracks they were following disappeared. They slowed puzzled by the loss of the tracks. When they turned to retrace their steps trees stood where they thought they had walked before and they could no longer find their own tracks. They gradually became lost and then separated from each other. During this time the four friends were being guided by the trees towards their horses. Their mounts were dancing with impatience when they arrived and began to move as soon as they were on their backs. A clear track led through Mirkwood and away from the interlopers. Legolas looked back a hard look appeared on his face, "those invaders will never be seen again. The trees will have their revenge."

"That will bring down retribution from the Goa'uld. He will burn the whole of the woodland in his rage at being thwarted," Teal'c told them. "The trees must let them go for now."

Legolas stopped, "did you hear?" he called to the trees. Silence met his call.

"Be patient," Teal'c added his voice, " let them go for now and save the woodland."

"We hear you friend," a gentle voice rustled through the nearby trees, "we will be patient." Further back in the woodland the Jaffa began to find their way out, but none towards the fleeing group.

The following day Haldir and Selendir headed to see King Thranduil. They were sorry to leave their cousin and Teal'c. Duty called them east but friendship called them west, duty won and they left them at the edge of Mirkwood.

As Legolas and Teal'c rode up the Old Forest Road passage they came across the downed Glider. Legolas looked up towards the peak above them. "That was one of the peaks they were going to climb. I hope everyone is alright."

"The Glider was hit by weapons fire, they won this fight," Teal'c responded but began to ride a little faster. They were now in a hurry to return to Rivendell and know the fate of their friends.

**Reviews needed, do you still like where this is going?**


	16. Chapter 16

**Sam & Gimli Return to Lothlorien Part 1**

"We will go over the Misty Mountains through Caradhras Pass. We should have no trouble this time of year. The snow is high up on the peak only." Gimli had told Sam the night before, but Sam was not happy. Their last attempt at Caradhras had not turned out well. He remembered almost freezing to death and there was something up there that did not like to be disturbed.

Then pragmatism asserted itself as Sam responded. "Anything would be better than Moria. There is the Gap of Rohan but it would take us an extra two or three days that way." So it was decided to try Caradhras again this time and hope for a better journey than last time.

When it was their turn to leave Rivendell they were accompanied by two men from Aragorn's Royal Guard. They had been entrusted with the safety of two of their King's trusted friends, one of whom they both knew went to Mount Doom with the Ring Bearer to destroy the One Ring. For them this task was an honour and they rode behind their strange charges without a backward glance. Jason and Artos had been with the army at Mordor's gate and knew the whole tale. The appearance of these individuals did not fool them; they knew them to be brave and hardy. They also knew that they alone from the guard had been entrusted with a task important in this coming conflict. They were the envy of their fellow guards and found that a most enjoyable experience.

The ride from Rivendell to Caradhras was without incident and a lot pleasanter on horseback than walking. They set up camp a few miles from the Pass and decided to attempt it the following morning. The morning air had a chill but it soon began to warm and the sky was clear when they entered the Pass in good spirits. As the track climbed into the mountains they picked their way up the narrowing track. "You were right Gimli, no snow but it is getting colder," Sam called and Jason laughed.

"A little cold won't do us any harm and we should get through the pass today. Then onto Lothlorien tomorrow," Jason turned to Artos, "is that not so?"

"I would hope but perhaps another day, there are the Gladden Fields and Dimrill Dale to cross before we reach the enchanted wood."

Gimli looked at Artos and sadness filled his face. "The enchanted wood, yes, but the lady is gone and the magic with her smile."

Then everyone went quiet for a while. Gimli with thoughts of the Elfin Lady he had lost his heart to and Sam thinking of the joyful time at Lorien touched though it was by the loss of Gandalf in the mines of Moria.

The track became steeper and narrower as the drop to the bottom of the valley grew quickly. The ground was becoming more broken and Artos turned in his saddle. "I think that we should lead the…." Suddenly his horse stumbled and tried to right itself. Artos was thrown into the rock face and bounced back sliding over the edge, he caught at a small outcrop but the horse twisted in panic and caught Gimli's mount which reared and also backed over the edge. The two horses fell into the abyss taking Artos and Gimli with them. Sam did not take the time to think, he dived from his horse and grabbed the back of Gimli's shirt, and then he went over. He managed to catch at the edge and it held. Sam was dangling on the edge of the precipice with Gimli hanging from his other arm which was stretching painfully with the weight, he knew his fingers would not hold for long but he held onto his friend doggedly.

In what seemed like an eternity a strong pair of hands grasped his arm and began to drag him back. Sam looked up to see Jason holding his arm and his horse which was backing slowly and determinedly down the path. The strain on Jason's face told of the effort to hold the double weight. Suddenly the weight on Sam's arm lightened as Gimli managed to grab at the rock face. All three slid back onto the track and Jason let go of them and the rope he had tied to the saddle. He crawled back to the edge to look for his missing friend. He could just make out the bodies of the horses far down below but could not see Artos. Suddenly a rock crashed down from above hitting him on the head and he teetered on the edge. Both Gimli and Sam dived forward and grabbed his legs, dragging him back to the rock face. More rocks rained down but the rock face curved out slightly above them and protected them and the remaining two horses from the falling rock. Eventually it stopped and they peered upward looking for the cause. A shrill laugh was heard from above and scrabbling of feet on loose rock. Then silence descended and they sat and looked at one another.

"The stories of this mountain are true, something up here does not like us," Sam muttered. "We need to get out of here and I am not going to be driven down again. We go forward!"

"We go forward, but I have lost my axe and have no weapon," Gimli said.

Jason picked up Artos's sword that had fallen from its sheath. "I am sure he would not mind if you used his weapon."

"I am not a swordsman but will be honoured to carry it," he responded and took the blade.

They led the remaining horses along the wall listening for any more rock falls or returning malevolent presence but there was none. Another two hundred yards along the track it began to descend again and they needed to concentrate on where they put their feet. It took them another hour or maybe a little more to descend down into the next valley and away from Caradhras. The rest of the Pass wound along the lower valleys and they made the start of the Gladden Fields a little after dark. They huddled together in their blankets to sleep and wait for dawn. They lit no fire and spoke very little before they slept. Gimli and Sam had only known Artos a short time but they still mourned his passing.

They began riding early, Sam and Gimli doubling up on Jason's horse as it was the largest and did not object to the weight. They stopped only twice to rest the horses and slept in the Dimrell Dale again without a fire for safety. Late the following afternoon the three made the outer edges of Lothlorien woodland. They entered the woodland close to the place they had entered it so many years before. "Can you hear it," Sam whispered.

"Hear what?" Jason asked while straining to hear what it was that entranced Sam.

"It is the Nimrodel, the river we crossed when we were last here. Remember Gimli, Legolas told us the story of Nimrodel."

"I remember," Gimli responded. "I also remember finding myself surrounded by grey clad elves that did not kill us because Legolas was with us."

"And now we do not kill you because you are elf friends," a voice from the tree above them called. A grey clad figure dropped to the ground in front of them and smiled in greeting. "Gimli the dwarf and Sam Gamgee you are, of this I am sure."

"Orophin," Sam exclaimed and smiled as he came forward to welcome him. "We have come to see Celeborn about the strangers north of Mirkwood."

"He has been waiting for word for a while now. We were to send someone to Rivendell for counsel because we have become concerned. He will be doubly pleased to see who has been sent to us." He then looked pointedly at their companion.

"This is Jason," Gimli made the introduction. "We owe him our lives."

"Then he is doubly welcome," Orophin responded. "Come with me, I will be your guide,"

"What," Gimli responded, "no blindfold?"

Orophin laughed and slapped him on the shoulder. "No my friend, not this time."


	17. Chapter 17

**Sam & Gimli Return to Lothlorien**

"So you have arrived at last. I have been expecting you for sometime," Celeborn told them. "We have been preparing for the call and are ready to depart with you to Rivendell tomorrow."

"You know why we are here?" Gimli asked in surprise.

"We knew this day would come when we first met you here these short years ago. We also knew we would have to await your return before we acted because this is the way it must happen, will happen," Celeborn told him.

"How could you know this?" Gimli asked again.

"Because it was foretold," Celeborn replied and Gimli was silenced. "Orophin will take you to the place prepared for your rest."

As Gimli and Sam turned to follow Orophin to their quarters Celeborn called to Sam. "Stay one moment Samwise Gamgee I would speak with you for a while." Sam stopped and remained with Celeborn and Orophin took Gimli away.

As Gimli and Jason walked through the immense trees of the deep wood Gimli remembered the last time he was there. He told Jason the story of the peace and the sadness of that time and the beauty of the lady of the Woods. When he went silent Orophin added to the tale. "It is not the same without Lady Galadriel but soon those of us that remain will go with Celeborn to the Grey Haven and beyond."

"You are leaving Middle Earth?" Jason asked his new friend.

"Our time is past; few Elves will stay beyond this conflict. It is because of the prophesy that most of us are still here. If not for that Celeborn would have gone with his Lady."

"Is this the tale that Legolas spoke of, that people would come through the circle to help Middle Earth?" Gimli asked entering the conversation again.

"Yes, that tale has kept many of us here to see it to its end," the elf admitted. "Besides, we are expecting other visitors in a few hours." Then the elf laughed, "they will come to us by mistake but it will be a useful mistake."

Later that day Sam arrived at the hall to which his companions had been taken but was not inclined to talk much. "We will have visitors in an hour or two," he told them. "They will be looking for Rivendell and I am to go with them. Celeborn wishes you both to stay with the company of elves who will be leaving for Rivendell shortly and keep him company."

"That will be an honour," Gimli and Jason responded at once.

"Well that may well be, I wish I was staying with you. I am apparently going to be flying and my last flight was with the eagles and I was barely conscious as I remember."

Orophin arrived with a large parcel which he gave to Gimli. "This is a gift from us to a brave warrior to replace that which was lost," he explained. Gimli took and unwrapped his prize wordlessly. A new elfin axe had been presented to him, it had been wrought especially for Gimli and the weight of the axe was perfect.

"This is a wondrous gift, I will treasure it always." His eyes filled as he tried not to cry in his gratitude.

Suddenly they heard a large noise above their heads and rushed out to look for the cause. A large fat metal bird was descending from the sky and settled in a clearing that had not been in the centre of Lothlorien when they had previously visited. The elves gathered around what was a small space ship and the four friends joined them. A door opened in the side and the person who stepped out stared around with wide dark eyes at the gathering. A second man stepped up behind him. "Is this Rivendell?" the stranger asked.

Celeborn strode forward stopping a few feet from them. "I am afraid you have landed in the wrong area. This is Lothlorien; you need to be further north and to the west of the Misty Mountains."

"I told you Martouf, this is the wrong elves," Jacob Carter commented back over his shoulder and then grinned at the elf in front of him. "You would possibly be Celeborn?"

"I am indeed and you are Jacob Carter," Celeborn answered with a smile.

"Well," Jacob responded. "I am not in a book to my knowledge so I am wondering how you know me."

"We also have tales here and you are part of one we have been waiting to unfold," Celeborn told him as he waived for them to descend. "You will eat with us and then my friend Sam," he said pointing to Sam Gamgee, "will show you where you need to be."

Jacob walked beside Celeborn who asked, "Do you carry a form of our enemy as the friend of Sam and Gimli?"

"Who is their friend?" Jacob asked warily.

"His name is Teal'c," the elfin prince explained.

"No, we are not the same. Teal'c is a friend but he carries a larval Goa'uld. We are Tok-Ra." Jacob thought for a moment of how to explain. "We are different races of the same species. I am Jacob Carter, you have not yet spoken to my symbiote, Selmak we share this body. I was dying and joining with Selmak saved my life and his." The Goa'uld takes what is not offered by force, including their hosts." Jacob explained.

Then he stopped walking and Celeborn turned to face him as he briefly dropped his head. Suddenly Celeborn realised he was looking at someone different, Jacob and yet not Jacob. It was a subtle difference but discernable. Then his eyes lit with an inner light. "I am Selmak, Jacob's friend and symbiote. The Goa'uld and the Tok-Ra diverged many thousands of years ago when our Queen would only join with willing hosts. All of her children have been created in her image and beliefs. Jacob speaks for me and with my mind," he explained and then withdrew again.

"Sorry," Jacob said with a smile, "he wanted to say hello and see what an elf looked like."

Celeborn laughed and placed a hand on Jacob's shoulder, "perhaps we will have time to exchange strange experiences." Jacob laughed in return.

"These are the people we were waiting for?" Jason whispered to Sam behind Martouf.

"Yes, these are very important to us. They will be able to save Denola and make Jack O'Neill well enough to fight," Sam responded in a normal voice. "There is no point in whispering Jason; the Tok-Ra has heard you anyway." Martouf turned to look down at the little man behind him and smiled.

As darkness fell the Tel'Tak took off again and flew north. Onboard was Jacob, Martouf and Sam but they did not go immediately to Rivendell. First they took a quick flight towards the grey mountains. Jacob and Martouf scanned the area from on high and Sam watched in fascination as they tried to determine what the Goa'uld was up to. Finally as dawn broke they turned south and headed for Rivendell. Martouf suddenly pointed down and they took the Tel'tak down towards a group of people on horseback. Jacob recognised his daughter and smiled wondering if he would get a chance to ride a horse for a while.

**SG1 all gather again in Rivendell with Tok-Ra and all the good guys in next chapter. Reviews welcome.**


	18. Chapter 18

**Just a little more setting up to do and the action can really get started. We have recovering Jack and moody Daniel at the moment.**

Daniel and Jack took the rising pathway alongside the waterfall and stopped to watch it cascade onto the rocks at its bottom. "Do you think we will all get lucky this time," Daniel asked in a subdued voice, he was feeling a little out of his depth walking around in something he had always considered a fairytale.

"I don't know Danny boy but I am wishing my shoulder would perform a miracle in the next couple of days. I think I am going to need both my arms real soon," Jack responded and then gave his friend a wry grin. "We have the luckiest team in the SGC Space Monkey. Despite being injured, tortured or killed we always seem to find our way back. Let us hope this time is no different."

"Injured, tortured and killed?" a voice queried from behind and they turned to see Aragorn stood behind them. His approach had been hidden by the sound of the falling water.

"Sure," Jack threw back eyeing the man with increased respect after not hearing the approach. "Daniel here got shot and left for dead on one of those Goa'uld ships and still managed to come home intact!" Jack's grin broadened as he explained.

Aragorn shook his head, "so he wasn't actually dead."

"It was a killing wound, but I found the sarcophagus, a Goa'uld healing devise and crawled into it. Then managed to get off the ship before it blew up," Daniel explained.

"You destroyed this ship?" Aragorn deduced.

"We set the explosives and then stole some Gliders to get away," Jack put in. "Daniel got himself healed and Gated out before it blew up. We were very pleased to see him."

"Space Monkey?" Aragorn asked puzzled.

Daniel and Jack started laughing. "That name is just too complicated to explain." The three continued up to the steps and climbed back to Glorfindel's home.

Later Daniel went for a walk around Rivendell trying to become comfortable with being surrounded by the strangest aliens he had yet seen. As he stopped under one particularly beautiful tree and stared up into the boughs he heard a soft intensely female voice. "It is a beautiful tree, so different from the others around it, is it not?"

He looked round at an elfin woman, tall, slender and ageless with long black hair and startling blue eyes. "It is the most unusual gold colouring I have ever seen on a tree," Daniel acknowledged and placed a hand on the trunk. "Even the bark seems to have a slight golden glow."

"We brought the seeds with us when we came to Middle Earth," she explained. "My name is Namora and I have been sent to find you. Glorfindel knows that you are restless and I am to find you something interesting to do."

"What is more interesting than seeing all of Rivendell laid out before me and mixing with such an interesting people," Daniel responded gallantly and she laughed and her tinkling laughter seemed to dance among the branches of the tree. He smiled and she noticed the darkness about him lift. "You have hatred for these invaders of our lands and our problems worry you?" she asked curiously.

"Yes," he replied and she could see the darkness in his mind rise again and threaten to swallow him.

Namora hid her curiosity and endeavoured to bring back the charming smile. "We have a library with many very old scrolls and books that we believe would be of interest to you." She was rewarded by brightness lighting up his eyes as his interest was piqued. "They tell the tale of Middle Earth and many other things about all of its peoples, from our perspective of course," she added with a sly little smile. Daniel laughed and she was satisfied and led him toward their library.

After Daniel had left him Jack had tried to rest. He led on his bed and tried to sleep, the best way to allow his body to heal but his mind kept running. _'Why had Indra come here, what is the snakehead looking for? Should have asked the Tok-Ra to take a look on their way in. Now is a fine time to think of it.'_ He got up and walked out onto the balcony and looked down into the Rivendell vale but he was not seeing it. What he was seeing was a huge golden pyramid that he knew was on this planet and its occupants up to no good.

"You are supposed to be resting," Glorfindel admonished him as he joined him on the balcony. "You could at least sit down out here to rest."

"It would do no good," Jack muttered, "that is not the way my mind works. If there is something hinky going on my mind keeps gnawing at it until a solution comes, then it will let me rest."

"Well I have sent someone to occupy Daniel for the next four days, what am I going to do with you?" Glorfindel asked with a twinkle in his eye. "You need to be ready for when everyone returns. Most everyone will return."

"Jack turned to look at Glorfindel's profile. "What are you not telling us?"

The elf looked an apology at him but would only say, "we have foreknowledge of these events but have been warned to say nothing. That the knowledge could…."

"Alter the events into an unknowable future," Jack finished for him. "See, I am not as dumb as I act." Then he grinned, "but that still does not tell me what the snakehead is up to."

"Can you use a sword?" Glorfindel asked him.

"I have had some training, not much mind you," Jack responded, "why?"

"You can use your other arm and get a little gentle practice in if you would like."

Jack nodded and followed his host down through the house but as he walked he thought about the conversation he had just had_. "Why would I need to be able to use a sword? If he knows something I do not, then everything they give us or offer us is probably preparation." _"So who am I going to need to use a sword against?" Jack asked him innocently and watched the surprised reaction. "If you do not want to tell us anything about our immediate future you are going to have to be more devious in your efforts to help us." Jack told him a touch of irony in his voice.

Glorfindel laughed as he led him into the sparring courtyard, "yes I see we will have to be careful. Look, Aragorn is here. You can practice together, I have things I must do today. I will see you all at dinner tonight."

The following four days passed more quickly than Jack could have imagined. He saw very little of Daniel who spent the days in the library and the evenings in the Hall of Fires listening to the songs and tales of the elves with Namora and learning their ancient tongue. Jack noticed his friend appeared to be relaxed and a lot happier than recently which he thought was a good thing. Jack spent a lot of time with Aragorn rebuilding his strength. He did not think that Janet Frazier would approve of Aragorn's methods but they certainly seemed very effective. By the fourth morning his shoulder seemed a lot better and the ugly red wounds had begun to look less messy. His shoulder was still a long way from being useable but his stamina seemed to be returning quickly.

Unfortunately this had made him even more restless so that morning he took a walk up to the top of the ridge from which the river cascaded and looked toward the misty mountains. He wondered how Carter and Teal'c were managing and hoped they were both fine. There had been radio contact with Carter when checking the relays, he had not expected anything else but he wanted to know how they were both managing.

He noticed movement in the trees below him and instinctively dropped to the ground so that he was not sky lined. His shoulder went into spasm and he gritted his teeth in silent pain. Peering down he saw a small company of Jaffa moving through the trees and they appeared to be heading for the ridge. Jack cursed and was about to retreat from the edge and go to warn Glorfindel of the incursion when he noticed something else moving. He stopped and stared as a group of trees suddenly began to move in all round the Jaffa. Jack was surprised at how quickly they could move when they chose. Roots and branches wrapped around arms and legs and the Jaffa were picked up and weapons wrenched from hands. Even Jack flinched as he saw them being crushed or torn apart in what seemed like rage. It was over in a few moments and several trees looked up to the ridge on which he lay. He stood up and waived to acknowledge their presence and a booming seemed to start from within the trees. A voice he recognised drifted up to him, "They will not be returning to the Grey Mountains with any information for the one you call Indra." Tree Beard called and then the Ents moved back into the surrounding woodland and vanished.

After watching his rather unnerving allies disappear Jack hurried back down into the Vale to find Glorfindel. If Jaffa were looking for Rivendell a closer guard needed to be kept on the surrounding countryside. He found Aragorn first as he was looking for his missing friend and they met on the path beside the top of the water fall.

"Jack you have been gone for several hours and we were beginning to worry," Aragorn started to say as he turned to walk back with him.

"I have just seen Jaffa beyond the ridge, headed for Rivendell," Jack told him with concern. Aragorn stopped and looked back worry on his face. "Do not worry about them. Rivendell has other allies. Tree Beard was there with others and they dealt with them. I would not have thought I could be afraid of trees but I am real happy they are on our side," Jack told him.

Aragorn's sardonic laugher echoed as he responded. "You should have seen what they did to Isengard during the war with Sauron. Their rage at what Saruman had done was only halted by the total destruction of everything he had created."

"Well," Jack acknowledged, "that side of Rivendell is safe but the open side to the plain needs to be watched and guarded now."

"Well tomorrow the wanderers will begin to return with their tasks completed and we can move against these Goa'uld," Aragorn stated and Jack nodded. They made there way back to the house for Jack's shoulder to be dealt with and the rest he had been trying to avoid.


	19. Chapter 19

"You really must come and see their library, it is incredible," Daniel told Jack as he rushed through his breakfast.

"What and spoil all your fun. I am sure your new friend would not want a chaperone, what is her name again?" Jack asked innocently.

"You know perfectly well that her name is Namora and that is all she is, a friend," Daniel bit back and Jacks smile widened and he hummed to himself as he picked up a piece of fruit.

"Girl in every port," he murmured quietly and Daniel glared at him.

Suddenly the subject of their conversation came rushing in with excitement and fear sparkling in her eyes. "You both must come at once. Glorfindel needs you. A Glider has landed just outside Rivendell."

Both men jumped and ran to their rooms picking up weapons and running out of the house and down through Rivendell. Namora stayed with them until they reached the stables where they stopped running briefly. "That," Jack told Namora, "is not a Glider. It is a Tel'tak." Then they ran towards the company of elves armed with bows and surrounding the vehicle. Their concern was for the safety of the occupants who the elves would view with extreme suspicion.

Daniel reached Glorfindel first and put a hand on his shoulder as he gasped, "friend!" Then he leaned over to relieve the stitch that had appeared in his side.

Jack took a little longer to reach him but had not exhausted himself in the sprint. "I think these are the people we have been waiting for," he explained to Glorfindel as he pulled Daniel upright. He turned to find Aragorn at his side not even breathing hard. "I see being King has not affected your fitness," Jack commented with a lopsided smile. Aragorn gave him a quizzical look and nodded toward the ship. "It should be the Tok-Ra," Jack explained. "But just in case it is not, perhaps you should not tell your men to lower their weapons just yet." Both Aragorn and Glorfindel nodded agreement to that precaution as the four of them moved toward the ships hatch.

The hatch opened and for a few moments nothing else happened, then slowly a small head poked out of the hatch and looked around at the bows. "I would be a lot happier if you did not point those things at me," Sam Gamgee commented as he stepped clear of the hatch.

"How on earth!" Daniel exclaimed.

"You are not on earth," Jack replied as the Tok-Ra followed Sam out of the craft. "Jacob!" Jack called and the two clasped hands and slapped one anothers shoulders. "Owww," Jack growled and Jacob looked concern.

"Hammond said you had been injured. How bad is it?" Jacob asked.

Jack shrugged and looked at his companion. "Hello Martouf," he greeted in a slightly mocking tone he could not help but use with him.

"Hello O'Neill," Martouf responded with a smile. "Daniel Jackson," he acknowledged the archaeologist.

"Hello Martouf," Daniel responded.

Glorfindel and Aragorn watched the interaction with interest. They looked at each other with faint surprise. There were so many different emotional currents running between these four people. "Jack likes one of them but the other not as much," Aragorn commented.

"Daniel seems to like them both," Glorfindel added. "I thought Jack did not trust them."

"Apparently liking someone and trusting them is not necessarily the same thing for these people," Aragorn commented and then turned as he heard horses.

The bows came up again briefly but were immediately lowered as the returning party was recognised. As the horses stopped one of the elves slid out of his saddle only being prevented from falling to the ground by Sam's horse sidestepping so that she could catch him. Mizar leapt from his horse and helped Sirius from his saddle. They laid him on the ground as they were surrounded by worried friends.

"Do they have a healing devise with them?" Sam shouted at Jack. "Syrius has a blast wound to his body and I do not think he will last much longer!"

Martouf turned and ran back into the Tel'tak returning almost immediately with the requested implement. Jacob took it and strode to her side as Sam looked up. Mizar's felt a spurt of surprise and jealousy as Sam stood up and flung her arms around the Tok-Ra's neck. Her next words banished the feeling. "It is good to see you Dad." He smiled and then knelt beside Mizar as he put on the healing device. As he stretched out his hand over the injured elf his arm was caught in a vicelike grip and a knife placed at his throat. Everyone froze and stared at the tableau.

"It is not a weapon Aragorn. I know to you it looks similar to the device we took from Denola, but it is not the same. He is going to help him." Jack spoke quietly into the tense silence that had fallen. "Trust me, Jacob only wants to help."

Aragorn let go of his arm and lowered the knife almost reluctantly. It was as if he could sense the presence of Selmak and Jacob eyed him curiously for a moment then turned back to the stricken elf. Artos lay still and silent as if life had already left him and Jacob passed the glowing device over his body then more closely over the wound. "I can prevent him dying but I can not heal him completely, that will take time. I will do what I can and perhaps in a couple of days I will try to heal him further." Then the light emanating from the jewel intensified and Jacob frowned in concentration.

A single bead of sweat made its way down his face after a while and Martouf stirred uneasily. "Jacob you should not…" he began.

As if in response to the uncompleted warning the light died and Jacob looked up. "I can do no more at present."

As he spoke Syrius opened his eyes and looked up at the people crowded around him. "Am I home?" he whispered and Sam dropped to her knees beside him and Mizar. "Yes, we are home Artos.

We have but to carry you a little way and you will be in your own bed," Mizar told him.

"Thank you Sam for getting me home," he whispered weakly and then looked at Jacob. "I owe you a great deal for the life you have given to me."

Jacob stood up and slid off the device. He watched as Sirius was carefully lifted and carried toward the dwellings. Sam went with them and he looked a little concerned by the injuries she appeared to be carrying. He turned to Jack and asked. "What happened to Sam?" Then he changed the subject realising that Jack would not yet know the details. "You will have to wait for a few hours before I can try healing again. Perhaps Martouf or Sam can help you."

"I am in no hurry," Jack responded and then grinned. "Let me introduce you to people you already may know." Jack began the introductions with the Tok-Ra. "This is Martouf, the first Tok-Ra we met. This is Jacob Carter one of our own people who chose to join the Tok-Ra. This is Glorfindel and this is Aragorn."

Jacob looked at Aragorn and smiled in delight. "So you are Strider," and he extended his hand which Aragorn took in greeting.

"I am not usually called that now but it is a fond memory," Aragorn told him.

"Glorfindel is a name I also recall, a prince I believe perhaps one of the White Council?" It was a question that confirmed that Jacob Carter had read both the Lord of the Rings and the Silmarillion sometime in his life.

"How do you know all these things about us," Aragorn asked and Jacob turned to look at Jack and Daniel.

After a moment Jack shrugged. "I do not know, but I think Glorfindel does but he is not letting on." Glorfindel raised an eyebrow and for a moment looked so like Teal'c that everyone laughed. They turned and walked back through the courtyard and stables heading for Glorfindel's home.

Suddenly Jacob stopped a worried look on his face. "We should hide the ship."

"I would not worry about that," Jack commented with a smirk on his face.

"Why?" Martouf asked warily.

"Well, can you see a ship?" Jack asked waving a hand in the general direction they had just come from.

Martouf and Jacob turned to look back but all they could see was trees. Martouf looked bewildered causing Jack to grin but Jacob was not fooled. "So how did you get the Ents to help?" he asked.


	20. Chapter 20

They had all settled around a large table in the warm evening to eat and talk. Aragorn and Glorfindel sat together at the head of the table watching the interplay of personalities. Jack sat at the other end laughing and talking with Jacob and Sam Carter on one side and Martouf on the other. Mizar had joined them and sat beside Sam listening to the banter. Sam Gamgee sat beside Martouf quietly asking questions about the Tok-Ra and why they played host to such strange beings. Daniel and Namora sat together joining in the conversation with Martouf and everyone was relaxed in the pleasant atmosphere.

"How is Syrius?" Sam Gamgee asked the group suddenly as he had not seen the elf after he had been carried away.

"He is sleeping," Mizar answered. "The wound has healed a little and Glorfindel has treated him also. With so many people aiding him he cannot help but heal quickly." Mizar smiled at Sam, "you kept him alive when we thought it was not possible and then your father brought him back. We have much to be grateful for."

"We will see if Denola will be similarly grateful," Martouf commented.

"What do you mean?" Aragorn asked.

"He means," Jack replied before Martouf could, "that the Goa'uld have a habit of finding ways to torture their hosts into submission. To push their psyche down into as small a space as possible and completely cower them. Retrieving him alive may still not save him."

"The host can lose their mind with such treatment or be catatonic and not retrievable." Martouf added. "O'Neill is correct Denola will never be the same elf again."

"Denola is strong," Glorfindel stated, "he will recover if you can indeed remove this vile creature from within him."

"We have the equipment to subdue it and prevent it from killing the host while it is being removed. It has been done before although the opportunity to save the host does not arise very often. We will begin this as soon as we have rested," Jacob continued, "It will be a fairly long process."

The conversation was interrupted by noise coming from outside the room and Legolas rushed in with Teal'c behind him. They both looked quickly round the room found Sam sat beside Jack and visibly relaxed. Then Legolas noticed that Syrius was missing. Glorfindel called them over to join the group denying the necessity for them to change their clothes before they did so.

"Good evening Jacob, Martouf," Teal'c intoned as he sat down. "I am pleased to see you both well."

"Hello Teal'c," Jacob responded and Martouf acknowledged him with a smile and nod of his head. They were both staring at Legolas and Daniel suddenly grinned and said to Jacob, "guess."

"I believe he fit's the description of Legolas son of King Thranduil of Mirkwood. To be honest though Daniel, Jack told me Teal'c was with Legolas," Jacob admitted and everyone laughed.

"I did not tell you who his father was," Jack said grinning. "You've read the book more than once."

"Are you kidding, I do not remember how many times I read it as I grew up. I loved Middle Earth, the battles, the heroes. To find that it was all real was unbelievable. I thought George was pulling my leg,"

"How do you think I felt, they sent me to the psychiatrist and relieved me of duty!" Jack exclaimed looking slightly aggrieved at the memory. "Now to get back to the problem in hand…" he began, bringing the conversation to the job they had to do now that all the players were assembled. The conversation went on for hours into the night and by the time they retired to bed a plan of attack had been decided.

After the party had broken up Daniel sort out Glorfindel. He found him sat beside the waterfall staring at it as if in deep meditation. "Excuse me," Daniel called softly as he approached and Glorfindel turned his head in response. "I need to speak to you about something I have found in the library."

"I have been expecting you," the elf responded. "I sensed there were questions you wished to ask."

"Well," Daniel began hesitantly. "According to the old scrolls you are apparently dead."

Glorfindel smiled slightly and a glitter appeared in his eyes. "Yes I really should have hidden that section before letting you loose."

"Then you were dead?" Daniel asked flabbergasted.

"Not exactly. What happened is not the issue here though is it. You are worried about who I am," Glorfindel stated.

"I guess, I mean you are both Glorfindels, one and the same?"

"Oh yes Daniel the being in the records is me all the way through."

"That makes you thousands of years old," Daniel uttered and sat down hard on the seat beside the path."

"Not just me Daniel. I will tell you a story but you must not tell the others. It will make no difference to what we must do to protect Middle Earth," Glorfindel explained earnestly.

Daniel stared into the water rushing past him for a few moments and then agreed. "As long as I believe it will make no difference."

"Then I am content," Glorfindel murmured. "The Gateway your people call the Stargate," he began and Daniel's head came up and a light came on in his eyes. "My people created them, the whole network across this and other Galaxies. They are not just my people, Gandalf and Galadriel, Elrond and Celeborn are all of the same race."

"You talk in the present tense," Daniel said, "they are still alive."

"But not reachable by you or anyone on this plane of existence," Glorfindel replied.

"You are one of the ones they call the Ancients. Why are you here?"

"To protect Middle Earth, that is why we came."

"Wait…" Daniel suddenly understood. "That is why Indra is here. He knows there is Ancient technology here."

"I suspect that is true and that you need to tell your friends. Not who I am but what Indra is after. It is an extremely old science library which was left here because we no longer needed it."

"You no longer needed it?" Daniel queried.

"Not were we went, were most of us still are," Glorfindel's eyes sparkled with amusement at something Daniel could not see or understand. "Not yet Daniel," he said, "it is not your time. You must 'find' this information in our library and give it to Jack."

"You trust me to do that and no more?"

"Yes Daniel. I trust Jack but this is one more thing than he should try to absorb at the moment. I did need to find a way to warn him that we must destroy this artefact. It is dangerous to Middle Earth and to this Galaxy if any of the information gets into the wrong hands."

Daniel thought for a long while and finally looked back at Glorfindel. "You underestimate Jack, you need to tell him. You will be surprised at how he will react. I have seen him destroy a thing rather than let our own people have it because it was too dangerous."

Glorfindel looked thoughtful and then nodded. "You know your friend; I cannot see his heart, not in this form of being."

Daniel looked puzzled by that comment but was distracted. "You can see my heart?"

Then Glorfindel laughed quietly. "You are the easiest of all to read. When the bitterness is gone there will be no end to what you could achieve." Then he stood up, "I go to find O'Neill, I will trust you in this." With that he walked away.

Jack stood in the shadow of the house and nodded to himself and slipped quickly back to his room. Now he knew what had been bothering Daniel he would wait for Glorfindel to find him. He smiled somewhat grimly as he wondered if Glorfindel knew he had been listening.

**OK So now the plot thickens. Reviews and guesses welcome.**


	21. Chapter 21

Jack arrived back at his room only moments before Glorfindel arrived. He watched him enter the room through narrowed eyes and instinctively knew how to handle the situation. "You know I was down there listening. You do not need to repeat what you told Daniel."

"Do you not trust Daniel?" Glorfindel asked. Curiously it did not occur to him that Daniel may have known and he was not the least put out by Jack's admission of spying.

"Oh I trust Daniel, but sometimes he jumps in with both feet and finds himself drowning," Jack responded. "I knew something was troubling him that he would not tell me until he was certain."

"Ah, you were there to make sure he did not get himself into a dangerous situation alone," Glorfindel stated. "You are a loyal friend above all things then?"

"That depends on how much is at stake. There are times when you have no choice in the matter," Jack responded honestly.

Glorfindel smiled and walked to the balcony and looked up into the clear night sky and Jack noticed his eyes lose focus for a moment. "There are times when I would go back now," he murmured, "but not yet…. Not yet." Then he turned in a decisive manner and laughed. "Let us stop fencing and I will tell you everything you need to know with one condition."

"What would that be?" Jack asked a light beginning in his eyes and a touch of humour creeping into his voice. He felt himself drawn to this elf despite the admission that he would not be told everything.

"You must not tell your people the truth until you are back through the Stargate and home. I need to be assured of this because it is important that certain people do not know what is happening. They must not try to change the future or inadvertently change it. There is also one among us who you must protect at all costs and I will tell you why that is so important." Then they both sat and talked for over an hour before Glorfindel finally left Jack to digest what he had been told and get some rest.

The following morning Daniel arrived at Jack's room with a scroll from the library. He had spent several sleepless hours deciding how to tell Jack about the Science Library without lying to him or betraying Glorfindel's trust. Jack was cleaning and checking his equipment in preparation for the trip north.

"Hiya Daniel, Jacob and Martouf are down with Denola, they have been for a while. We should know if they have succeeded soon." Jack commented as he reassembled his P90.

Daniel nodded absently but he had other things on his mind beside Denola's fate. "Jack, there is something I have found in the library," Daniel began and Jack cut him short.

He was not in the mood to wind Daniel up by making him dance around the problem; he had other things to do. "Glorfindel came to see me last night and told me about what you found in the library. We need to get these Goa'uld before they find it. We are lucky you found the reference." Jack had always found attack the best form of defence. This way Daniel would be too relieved to ask questions about what Jack knew. So he continued, "Glorfindel is certain he knows where it is hidden so at least we do not have to worry about searching for it."

Daniel noticed that Jack had a sword with his gear and frowned. "What do you want that for?"

"Gift from Aragorn, I cannot leave it behind that would be rude," Jack explained concentrating carefully on replacing the last piece of hardware. He did not look up as he did not want Daniel to see his face when he told a direct lie.

"Jack, you playing diplomat?" Daniel asked with a grin not noticing his friend's discomfort and then turned to leave. "I also have things to do, see you later." Jack let out a sigh of relieve and hoped no one else asked any awkward questions about his actions over the next few days.

A short while later Jack met up with a smiling Martouf so he was fairly sure they had successfully removed the Goa'uld. "Where is Jacob?" he asked him.

"With Denola who has managed to remain remarkably sane through his ordeal. It appears that when Sam and Teal'c realised what had happened to him it gave him hope and the strength to hold onto his sanity. The Goa'uld was newly implanted only a few days before and had not yet cowed his victim. He had threatened to make him do all kinds of things to his friends and family and caused him some pain. The really good news is that Indra does not know he has been captured and he can get us through the screen to destroy the generators. He does not know if he can get us into the ship itself."

Jack's smile was genuine as he responded. "That is the best news we have had. That at least will make the task easier." Martouf smiled back and nodded, he liked O'Neill and was happiest when they were in accord. "Where is Carter this morning?" Jack wondered out loud.

"I believe she is with the two elves that helped her set up the relays. Apparently Sirius has responded extremely well to our combined efforts and is trying to get up," Martouf told Jack who laughed. They went to find Jacob and Denola to discuss the slight alteration to the plans this opening gave.

"Perhaps you or Jacob could deal with my shoulder now. I will have need of it very soon."

Martouf thought that was a very strange turn of phrase but nodded and volunteered to treat Jack and they went to pick up the healing device on the way.

"Jack!" Aragorn called as he strode toward the pair. "How is Denola?"

"Goa'uld free and remembering some very helpful things," Jack answered as Aragorn fell into step with them.

"He has remarkable recall for a surviving Goa'uld host," Martouf acknowledged.

Aragorn smiled grimly, "then we have more information about the enemy. It can only be helpful."

"If he is right about Indra not knowing he has been captured and freed," Jack put a note of caution into the conversation.

In a home on the other side of the waterfall Sirius was being difficult. Finally Sam got him to lie back down with a promise that they would not leave for the Grey Mountains without him. His wound was healing rapidly, much faster than she would have thought possible even with her father's intervention. When she left the room she found Mizar hovering expectantly. "No he is not coming with us to see Denola but I had to promise that we did not leave him behind when we go north," Sam explained.

"Will he be well enough, it is only two days?" Mizar asked worriedly.

"Between my father, Aragorn and Glorfindel miracles are being performed," she said an impish grin appearing on her face and he smiled happily.

"Come, they will be expecting to see us and I want to see Denola," Mizar reached for her hand and pulled her towards the door. Sam laughed and allowed herself to be rushed across Rivendell. They arrived laughing after racing to see who could make it to Glorfindel's home first. Despite his elfish advantage he found himself hard pressed to beat her.

Jacob looked at the flush on his daughter's face when she shot through the door and then at both Martouf and Jack. He quickly hid the amusement that bubbled to the surface as he saw the two men realise they had another rival for her affection. He looked round and his eyes met Aragorn's in a moment of shared knowledge and amusement. Aragorn moved over to him and leaned forward to whisper in his ear. "An interesting contest, who do you think will win?"

Jacob looked at the three men and found himself analysing the situation for Aragorn. "As much as I like Martouf, and Sam does too, he is the past."

Aragorn tilted his head slightly. "The past?"

"The symbiote that Sam carried for a short while was Martouf's lover," he explained and then wondered why he did so. Aragorn had a way of expecting trust and receiving it he decided.

"The others then?" Aragorn questioned further. "How well do you know your daughter?"

"She has affection for both and for neither. Her work has always come first and she would not give it up to be with either at present. In the future possibly but I do not know to which she would turn. Affection for O'Neill is forbidden. As for Mizar that would mean a complete change of life for her. I could not answer that question."

Aragorn nodded as he thought about the complexity of Sam's life. "There will be a time when it will be to late to choose," he commented and Jacob could not help but agree with him. He worried about Sam much more now than when he had wanted her to go to NASA. That seemed such a long time ago.

Finally Glorfindel arrived and glanced around the room. Aragorn noticed his eyes settle on Jack and a look pass between them. He was intrigued, _'there are secrets here, and I wonder what the two of you have planned? Why have you not told me Glorfindel my friend?'_

Suddenly a noisy disruption outside drew everyone's attention as a familiar voice boomed. "Where is everybody, you have not left without us!"

Sam Gamgee jumped up in sudden excitement, "Gimli!" He called and clapped his hands in delight.

"Yes little friend it is Gimli," Glorfindel responded with a grin. "With him will be most of the fighting force of Lothlorien and Celeborn."

As he said this the tall, silver haired elf strode into the room. His eyes swept the assembly as Gimli charged past him with Jason close behind. Jason picked Sam Gamgee up and swung him round. "Now I am content, you are safe!" Sam Gamgee looked pleased and suddenly shy at the same time. All these new friends and the emotions they evoked confusing him. He sat down suddenly and looked slightly pale. "What is wrong my friend?" Jason asked in concern.

"I have new friends but I have already lost so many in the other conflict. I do not want to lose any more." Sam Gamgee looked up at his two friends and Gimli grasped his shoulder awkwardly not knowing how to comfort him. Jason put an arm around his shoulders and sat beside him.

Celeborn's eyes came to rest on Jack O'Neill and he strode across the room toward him glancing quickly at Glorfindel who nodded. "Colonel O'Neill I presume. We are assembled and at your service," he pronounced with a grim smile. "Please try to keep our losses to a minimum; there are few of us left here now."

As introductions were made between the few who had not met, everyone hunted for somewhere to perch. Jack moved to the balustrade running around the patio area. He hitched up his trousers and settled on it facing the assembly. His force, because that is how he now saw them, consisted of elves, men, Tok'Ra, a Dwarf and a Hobbit. He stared down at the marbled patio floor for a moment and then took a deep breath.

"Denola," he waved to the rather pale but composed individual "can get two or three of us through the force field protecting the ship. They in turn can sabotage the generators. They will not be able to keep the rest of us out. Overrunning the ship would be costly in lives and we need to ensure it does not take off. That means the saboteurs have a two fold mission. Incapacitating the ship and bringing the generators down. Denola and Gimli will go first as Indra will know by now that a dwarf is much more likely to know what is in the mountains. Indra will believe Denola has brought him a greedy individual looking for reward. He has already found a few here that we clashed with when we first arrived. Jacob has a neat trick to make Denola's eyes glow enough to pass superficial inspection. The Jaffa will not enquire too closely and it will only be Jaffa controlling the shield outside. They will take a prisoner with them. Teal'c knows his way around these facilities and the Goa'uld will be eager to get his hands…"

"On the Shova," Teal'c interrupted and laughed surprising the assembled group.

"These three will overpower the small guard and hold them long enough for a small group of us to penetrate. If this can be done silently," Jack looked a question at Gimli and Teal'c who both nodded. "Then the next part will be so much easier. Legolas, your father is meeting us there is he not?"

"There should be a guard of Ent and Elf by this time as close as they can safely get. They will watch for anyone escaping to the wood or east of the Misty Mountains and stop them," Legolas confirmed. "The request has not changed?"

"No, that will be perfect, I hope," Jack responded. "Can you find a few good bowmen to come with us to the ship? We may need a distance kill or two when the screen is dropped to stop an alarm being raised. I know how good you are with a bow."

Legolas grinned, "For the numbers Teal'c and I saw, four should be enough."

"Carter, Daniel, Sirius and Mizar are going with Glorfindel to the mountains. We now know what they are searching for and Glorfindel is certain he knows where it is. This is a search and destroy mission. That Technology is not to get into anyone's hands. Glorfindel?" It was an order and a question to Glorfindel that he already knew the answer too."Two SGC teams are already guarding the Stargate and a contingent of Rohan riders arrived there yesterday to deal with any hunt necessary around the Stargate. We do not want to leave any stragglers who might use the Stargate after everything has died down. Celeborn," Jack turned to look at the Elf seeing the same ageless depth in his eyes as in Glorfindel's. Can I split your forces?" Celeborn nodded. "Half to go with Glorfindel and the rest with us to the ship."

Celeborn smiled as he nodded realising that O'Neill had put one Ancient at each of the two points of attack. "That seems eminently sensible. This is going to take time."

"We can help there," Jacob interrupted. "Our ship can carry a considerable number of people short distances and we are invisible to the Goa'uld over distance. We can gather your forces within a few hours march of their destinations over the next day. We will begin as soon as the meeting is finished."

"You do seem to have thought of everything Jack," Glorfindel commented.

"Do not say that!" Daniel exclaimed from the corner of the room where he had remained silent. "That is guaranteed to make something go wrong!"

The tension that had been building in the room dissipated in laughter and Jack grinned. "There are one or two contingency plans," he told them. "Just in case."

**Have I missed anything? LOL**


	22. Chapter 22

**Sorry for the wait, I have been busy this week. Counters appear down again so I would appreciate even a one or two word review so I know it is being read. Thanks**

Jacob and Martouf worked quickly to remove everything possible from the cargo hold of the Tel-tak. They needed to make room for the maximum number of people to be transported at a time. Jack had decided that they should take the elves and Aragorn's soldiers to the east of the Misty Mountains first. So a large group of elves and men were quickly gathering by the Tel-tak, mixing and discussing their coming engagement. Celeborn and Aragorn were deciding who should travel first to the site east of the Misty Mountains as Jack strode up and stopped to talk. "Is everything ready for the first flight? "

"Yes but it will take three trips to accommodate everything we need to take as well as the people, "Celeborn replied. "Where is Glorfindel? "

"Preparing equipment they will need to take with them, "Jack replied and glanced round the assembled people. Sam Gamgee stood to one side looking decidedly unhappy. Jack knew he had not given the Hobbit a specific task on this endeavour and decided to talk to him just as Legolas and Gimli arrived with Denola. "You three are going with the first group to give Denola time to rest before having to walk all that distance to the Goa'uld ship," he told them. "Where is Teal'c?"

"He is coming Jack," Legolas responded. "He said there was one or two things he needed to do first."

Jack nodded absently as he looked down at the Hobbit. "Are you ready to travel? You are to go with Legolas and wait for me there, I will not be long."

"I am to go with you?" Sam asked suddenly brightening.

"Well we are not leaving you behind. Teal'c says you are the only one small enough to get into the secure area of the ship without being suspected."

Sam grinned shyly. "Well I am good for small places. "

Jack looked around at the trees and suddenly left the group heading for a particularly gnarled looking one. "Are you going to be there?" he asked looking up into the boughs at the eyes blinking back at him.

"Well," Tree Beard considered. "I am not altogether certain. It is a long way for my brothers and I to travel in such a short space of time. There is no room in your vehicle for us. "Then he stopped for a moment as if considering. "There are many of my brethren already waiting for your permission to kill the intruders." Then he released a rustling chuckle, "I believe it will be better if we remain here and protect Rivendell while its defences our weakened, but then," Tree Beard rumbled, "you knew we would do this."

"There is no fooling you is there my friend," Jack said with a laugh and drew several elves eyes. They had never seen a man talk so comfortably with an Ent before and it looked strange to them.

Jack put a hand on the rough bark as Tree Beard rumbled. "You be careful Jack O'Neill. You are soft and easily broken." Jack smiled and walked back toward the Tel-tak to see Jacob.

"What will you do with the little one?" Martouf asked by way of greeting.

"Sam Gamgee stays with Gimli and Legolas. He is a resilient little fellow and full of surprises, I do not want him surprising me at an inconvenient moment. They will look after him," Jack explained and Jacob laughed.

"Do you think this will work? Indra may be a lesser Goa'uld but he is not stupid. Selmak says he has always had ambition."

"Well this is an ideal opportunity to stop him permanently and keeping this planet out of their grasp," Jack stated and then frowned. "I will need to hitch a lift to the Stargate at some point," then he grinned, "if you can fit it into your busy schedule."

Jacob grinned, "get off my ship and let me finish loading."

It was already dark when it was time for Glorfindel's and his smaller party to leave. Jacob had already made three trips north but did not look the slightest bit tired. Jack briefly envied his stamina, but then knowing it was grounded in the symbiote decided he was not that envious. They were the last to leave and there was enough room on the Tel-tak for all of them.

Jack watched Carter board with Mizar and Sirius and frowned. Suddenly Glorfindel appeared beside him a slightly amused look appearing on his face. "They do seem to have bonded very well," he commented.

"Who?" Jack asked a little too casually.

"Mizar and Sam. At least you know there will be one person there who would do anything to protect her."

"Carter does not usually need anyone's protection," Jack commented a touch wryly. "You will look after my two friends, particularly Daniel, he has a habit…"

"Of jumping in feet first. Yes you have told me this before. Neither will die in this."

"Is that a fact," Jack responded dryly. "So nice to know before we start. So who will?"

"I was not told," Glorfindel responded as he boarded and then looked back. "I have never lied to you Jack."

"Just never told everything you do know. You are not going to get killed again are you?" Jack asked as he turned to seal the hatch.

"No, I do not believe I am."

The last flight was to be the longest as Jacob took a detour to the Stargate first. The Rohan riders had arrived earlier that day to guard the Stargate and found two SGC teams already in situ. Unfortunately as an unrecognizable ally they were being viewed with extreme suspicion. Hammond had called Jack to find a mediator that the Riders would trust. The last thing Jack needed was to find himself fighting the wrong people so the detour had become necessary.

When the Tel-tak touched down it was surrounded by hostile warriors on horseback and when they breached the hatch Glorfindel left the ship first. King Eomer greeted his old friend with relief and soon found himself introduced to the leader of these strange fighters. Diplomacy not being Jack's strongest role, he was pleased to stand back and watch Glorfindel smooth the ruffled feathers.

The members of SG4 and SG7 smiled in relief as O'Neill approached them and the tension around the Stargate lessened considerably. "Are we glad to see you Sir."

"Natives are unfriendly?" Jack asked.

"Not exactly pleased to see us. There has been no activity yet sir."

"With a bit of luck there will not be any, but I am not a great believer in luck myself," O'Neill responded.

Carter came down the ramp with Mizar behind her and the area went silent. It was not that the Rohan's had not seen a female warrior before so Jack was not quite certain why the silence had fallen. "Glorfindel," Jack asked quietly as he went back to him. "What is going on."

"Who is she?" Eomer asked. "She is the double of my sister, Eoywn."

"Carter, come here!" Jack called to Sam and she immediately crossed to the men. "Carter this is King Eomer. Sir this is my Second in Command Samantha Carter."

"Pleased to meet you sir," Carter responded with a smile. Then she turned to Jack. "Dad says we need to move soon. It is going to be dark when we get north of the Grey Mountains and it is cold and icy up there."

"A few more minutes Carter and we will be off again," Jack responded and then glanced at Glorfindel as she made her way back to the ship.

Glorfindel quickly explained the reasons for protecting the Stargate to Eomer and that the weapons carried by Jacks people were powerful and for their protection from the pyramid peoples wizardry. None of the intruders were to escape and take information about Middle Earth elsewhere. They would need to arrange a guard for the Stargate for some time to come.

After the Tel-tak took off again Jacob let out a sigh of relief. Dropping his daughter off in the cold wastelands of the north was not what he wanted to do, particularly at night when the temperature would plummet. "Do not concern yourself Jacob," Glorfindel explained. "We will be a few hundred yards from the entrance to the cave system. There will be ample warm within for us and we will reach our target about the same time as the attack on the Goa'uld ship begins. What will you be doing?"

"He," Jack commented from the back of the flight deck, "will be hovering overhead. If anything gets off the ground he will attempt to destroy it."

"The odd glider will be possible," Jacob commented.

"A Tel-tak is not really a fighting vessel," Martouf stated, "but we will do our best. We are armed."

It was dark when they dropped the party off. Ten elves and two humans disembarked from the ship. Daniel began to shiver almost immediately. "Lets get under cover quickly, this is a lot colder than expected," he muttered. He picked up his pack and followed Glorfindel towards the base of the mountains. Sam followed next walking with Sirius, concern for his newly healed wound in the low temperature. Mizar and the Lorien elves brought up the rear.

Finally Jacob took the ship up one final time to skirt the mountains and bring it down south of their target near Mirkwood. By the time they made it to the hidden campsite everyone had settled for the night. The Lorien night guard was invisible and managed to startle even Jack when they suddenly appeared to challenge them. As he settled to rest he knew they had one more day and night to move into position. Soon this long haul would be over and another Goa'uld would be dead, at least he hoped so.

**Now everyone is in position and primed!**


	23. Chapter 23

**OK. I have had a good Monday and the story has progessed. **

Despite the late night Jack woke with dawn's first light, before even the daytime animals were stirring. He opened his eyes and blinked in surprise. Sat less than a foot from his face was a fox; its head was tilted to one side as it stared hard into his face as if trying to tell him something. Jack did not move fascinated as he was by the strange behaviour. The fox stood up and sniffed the air then let out one high pitched bark and trotted away. "What the…!" Jack exclaimed and then rolled to his feet calling, "incoming!"

The elves and soldiers all around him sprung up and then dived for cover dragging bedding and large objects with them. At first there was no noise or movement and they turned to stare at one another in confusion and then slowly it impinged. Legolas who had moved close to Jack turned to look at him. "How did you know? We heard nothing."

"A little friend told me. I was being watched over by a fox, go figure," he answered in a bewildered tone. Legolas looked around and caught a glimpse of the animal on the borders of the camp looking up.

Legolas followed the fox's eyes upward to the glider passing over Mirkwood and then looked back as it disappeared into the woodland. "I have never seen that in all my lifetime," he told Jack. What is it with you and the trees and animals here? Do you have the same abilities where you are from?"

"I fish in a pond that has no fish," Jack answered cryptically and grinned as the noise of the craft died away. "It is out early I wonder where it is headed?" then he stood up and moved out into the open again with Legolas beside him. "We will have to be very careful today to keep the element of surprise."

"We should pair each of Aragorn's men with an elf for mutual protection," Legolas commented.

Jack raised an eyebrow as he repeated softly, "mutual protection Legolas?"

The elf just smiled and gave a small nod that turned into a bow of acknowledgement and Jack chuckled. "Have you gathered your bowmen?"

"We are at your disposal. Come meet my father, he is anxious to see you." Legolas turned and hurried away. After a glance around in search of the fox Jack followed.

King Thranduil and Celeborn sat eating a cold breakfast under the boughs of a very old tree. Jack looked up to see eyes blink and waved a greeting at it. The tree rustled and Thranduil looked up into the boughs in surprise. "He recognises Ents from ordinary trees?"

"And it seems he communicates with foxes also," Legolas explained as he sank beside his father. "It was a fox's sharp ears that warned us of danger."

Thranduil nodded and murmured something to Celeborn that Jack did not quite catch. "You are a remarkable man who is followed by some remarkable people I am told. Teal'c, I have now met a true and brave warrior."

"Yes he is," Jack responded, "and so are the other members of my team."

"Even Daniel?" Legolas asked innocently.

"Oh do not underestimate Daniel. Just because he has been virtually silent the last few days does not mean a thing. He has a job to do and as much as it may pain him, he will do it."

"Why should it cause him pain?" Thranduil asked.

"Because he values knowledge above all things and what he needs to do is contrary to his calling." Jack explained and Celeborn nodded.

"So you had noticed that he has been very quiet. I wondered that you sent him with Glorfindal." Celeborn's statement was also a question.

"It is a library, he will retrieve what he can," Jack grinned, "it will salve his conscience."

Celeborn laughed, "that was kind of you."

"Kind nothing. We need to take something back that will show our leaders this was a worthwhile exercise. They get uppity when we spend a lot of time and money for no return." Then he became serious as he regarded Thranduil and Legolas, ignoring Celeborn for the moment. "You do realise that you will need to seal that Stargate for a while after we have left. It is not just to protect Middle Earth from the Goa'uld, but other unsavoury characters. I would think twenty five years or more should do it."

"That is a very honest and unexpected assessment of your people," a familiar voice commented from behind.

Jack turned to find Aragorn stood behind him and Celeborn motioned for him to sit with them. "Not just our people there are others out there. Just because there is nothing here that should be of interest to the more greedy among us does not mean you are safe. Someone in the future may decide you were hiding something from us gullible Tauri soldiers."

"Anyone who thinks you are gullible must lack intelligence themselves," Aragorn responded and smiled grimly. "What if we do not wish to lose contact with you?"

"Find a way for the Stargate to operate without allowing outsiders to access without permission, and then use a code for only those you trust. We have this technology but asking for it may come at too high a price."

"I am sure Glorfindal and I can arrange something," Celeborn told Aragorn and Jack nodded feeling better now he had let his feelings be known. "We have a gift for you. We would also gift Teal'c but it would be of no use to him in his endeavours."

Thranduil lifted a package from beside the tree and handed it to Jack. He opened the parcel carefully and recognised its contents and smiled in genuine delight. Pulling the clothing from the parcel along with a cloak he noticed that it had been made in a similar style to his combat gear, rather than the tight fitting clothes of the elves. "I always wanted camouflage gear that really did make me disappear," he told them. "I think I shall just go and put them on." Then he went to find somewhere to change.

"He is a good man," Aragorn commented as he walked away. "Perhaps he will stay with us."

"No," Celeborn told him, "he will not stay. Once he leaves us he will not return to Middle Earth. He will do this to keep us safe."

"From his enemies?" Aragorn asked.

"No from his own people," Celeborn responded.

Jack's small army began to gather on the edge of Mirkwood as the light failed. They had made good time and everyone settled in to rest until the moon had sunk below the hills and true darkness prevailed. Teal'c, Gimli and Denola stood at the edge of the trees looking toward the distant ship barely visible in the failing light. Beside them Jack stood and Teal'c eyed him curiously but refrained from commenting on his new attire. Denola looked at Teal'c's face and turned back to look at the ship to hide his amusement. The sight of the pyramid drained all amusement from him. Deep down he knew he was afraid in a way he had never thought possible. He did not want to go anywhere near that place again but he must if they were to succeed. Gimli looked up at his new friend whose face was blank but he could still sense the fear. _'Will he be able to do this?'_

Someone tapped Denola on the shoulder and he jumped turning quickly to find Jacob behind him. "I did not sense your presence. I thought I would be able to sense when one was close." He looked guilty for comparing Jacob to the beast that had been inside him.

"You are still fragile from what has happened to you Denola. Jack, maybe this is not such a good idea." Jacob began as he sensed the elf's fear.

"No," Denola responded quickly looking between the two men. "I will succeed, I must do this."

"And I will be right there with you," Gimli told him. "We shall kill many of these creatures together."

"I too will be with you," Teal'c responded. "Just do not tie my hands too tightly; I will have need of them."

"Come with me and I will make your eyes ready to glow like a demons," Jacob said with a smile. "You can frighten a few Jaffa before they die." Denola smiled, he liked that idea.

As dawn approached Celeborn and Jack slid into position close to the entrance into the compound surrounding the ship. All around the area elves in their strange camouflage outfits were crawling into position to overrun the compound once the screens were dropped. A small figure dropped beside Jack and he turned his head to find Sam at his side. He pushed the Hobbits face down and then threw his cloak over both their heads. Everyone lay perfectly still as the sun began to rise waiting for the arrival of Denola and his guest and prisoner.

A Jaffa inside the shield looked over the devastated area outside the entrance and noticed some new grey patches on the ground several yards away. "The wind will blow all the soil away before long. This place will just be rock nothing will grow here anymore."

"What does it matter," his companion snarled. "The sooner we leave this wretched planet the better! I am tired of looking for what does not exist!"

"Quiet you fool, he will hear you. Do you want the same fate as D…?"

"Do not say his name! What a way to die, even for a fool!"

The voices carried sufficiently well on the wind for Teal'c to pick up the discontented tone of the conversation. His face now looked bruised with caked blood on his forehead. His shoulders were slumped and he dragged his feet. Gimli tugged viciously on the rope attached to his hands and Teal'c appeared to stumble forward onto his knees just in front of the screen. Denola's voice rose as he called to the guards for entry and they moved to stare at him through the screen. For a moment no one moved and then Denola suddenly activated the lenses in his eyes. At the sudden glow and the annoyed growl Denola threw at them they rushed to let the screen down. Gimli kicked Teal'c who staggered to his feet and fell through the entrance. One of the guards stepped forward and raised a foot to stamp on him and Teal'c twisted away so the guard bent down to thrust his staff weapon into him. Teal'c's hand snaked upward catching him by the throat, choking off any noise. The second guard let out a surprised squawk chopped off by an axe cleaving into his head. A third Jaffa just turning into that compound area raised his staff weapon and opened his mouth, an arrow passed silently through his throat and one through his heart. He dropped without a sound. All the new grey areas surrounding the compound turned into elves who glided silently into the compound. Some were heading for the ship, some for the Gliders. Farther back Aragorn stood with his men, not yet able to cross the open space for fear of alerting the ship to the attack. He signalled his men to spread out along the line of Mirkwood to kill any who attempted to escape that way.

Teal'c and Legolas joined Jack and Sam at the ramp to the ship. Two other bowmen also joined them. "Teal'c, can you get one of the Gliders up? Jacob could probably use your help."

"I go," Teal'c responded and ran across the compound joined by Gimli. "I am to fly, will you come?"

"We kill the intruders?"

"Yes," Teal'c responded.

"Then I come."

Jack's group made their way up the ramp and into the ship as the sea of elves engulfed the compound silently killing any Jaffa outside the ship. Aragorn and a small group of men made their way cautiously up into the compound area where he joined Celeborn. "They are in the ship," Celeborn told him. "Now we wait until they retreat and follow them." Aragorn nodded and sent his group to the Gliders to ensure none of them took off.

They looked up in surprise as one did take off almost straight up. "It is Teal'c gone to help the Tok-Ra," an elf explained to them both. "The dwarf has gone with him."

Aragorn's eyebrows rose, "Gimli is up there?" Then he shook his head in surprise. Celeborn did not seem at all surprised.

Jack led his group through the corridors in search of the power room. The cloth of their clothes now had a golden shimmer as it tried to adapt to the gold corridor walls. Finally they found the correct door and Jack busily planted C4 in as many hidden places as he could find. Suddenly the noise of the door opening froze him in place. Two arrows sped silently to their targets bringing the Jaffa down and Sam sprang forward to close the doors. They bodies were dragged out of sight and Jack finished what he was doing. They left the room and began to make their way off the ship when they ran into trouble. A large guard turned into the corridor and there was no door to hide behind. The sound of staff weapon fire echoed through the ship and to those outside. In the frantic fight that began Legolas and his two friends became separated from Jack and Sam. As Legolas tried to make his way back to the ramp a staff blast caught the elf behind him in the back, throwing the body into him. As he crashed to the floor another blast caught the other elf and he went down. Legolas was winded and did not immediately move, when he did so he was alone. The Jaffa had left all three for dead and gone in search of more uninvited guests. Legolas crawled clear of the bodies and stopped. Leave as instructed or go find Jack which should he do?

Jack and Sam ran along a curving corridor and Jack sensed they were going the wrong way. He stopped and shoved Sam into a small alcove putting his finger to his lips and motioning for him to stay put. He then walked cautiously along a few more yards and saw the control room. Indra had his back to him but as he went to retreat he turned. Jack pulled the zat he was carrying and began a fire fight with the two Jaffa in the room. It was a short battle as he had taken them by surprise. The blast of power that hit him did not come from the two downed Jaffa but from Indra and it threw him across the corridor into the bulkhead. He dropped stunned to the floor the zat and the sword he was carrying skipping across the floor out of reach. He struggled to push himself away from the floor the small voice of his survival instinct scolding him. _'Get up or die… Get up or die…"_ The Goa'uld advanced on him with arm extended, the jewel in his weapon hand glowing with an inner fire.

Suddenly a little figure flashed in front of Jack, rolling and picking up the sword. The bolt from Indra missed Sam and he dove forward driving the sword into his side. The Goa'uld howled in pain and immediately forgot about Jack. He grabbed Sam by the throat and dragged the sword out of his hand and threw it down. Jack struggled to get to his feet as Indra turned the jewel on Sam Gamgee and it began to glow lighting up the little Hobbit's face. Jack shook his head to try and clear it and his eyes came to rest on the sword lying close to his hand.

Suddenly he surged upright and swung the sword down between the Hobbit and the Goa'uld. The hand around Sam's throat was severed at the wrist and the Hobbit dropped to the floor. Indra staggered back as Jack whipped in a full circle and the sharp elf blade bit into the neck and severed the head. Jack dropped to his knees and shook his head; he could not steady his eyes and still weak he sank back to the floor.

Sam crawled to him and collapsed by his side. "We need to leave now," he said weakly to Jack.

"Give me a minute," Jack responded as he blacked out. The timers on the C4 continued to count down.


	24. Chapter 24

The group dropped in the northern wastelands felt the cold bite as they trekked toward the mountains. Daniel, Sam and the elves followed Glorfindel to a small cave entrance almost hidden by fallen rock which was quickly cleared away. "This is an opening to caves and halls that run north to south through these mountains," Glorfindel told Sam and Daniel as they entered and he searched for a pile of torches he knew should be close by. Daniel flicked on his flashlight and the small cave area lit up. "Thank you my friend."

"Similar to Moria?" Sam asked drawing the eyes of most of the group to Glorfindel in search of an answer. The question gave even the hardy Lorien elves pause as very few of their kindred had ever been this far north of their territory.

"No not like Moria. No goblins or trolls or even Balrog here. These are old mountains. So old they have begun to shrink rather than rise. No thing living has trodden these halls for millennia." Then Glorfindel looked at Daniel speculatively and drew his attention to the far wall. "Have you seen writing like this before?"

Daniel moved closer to the indicated wall and began to make out the markings with his flashlight. "Need more light in here," he mumbled as he adjusted his glasses for a closer look. Suddenly the sound of rock grinding drew his attention to the entrance as a door slid across closing them in.

"We do not want anyone coming up behind us in here. There is only one other way out and we could become trapped." Glorfindel informed them as he activated the lighting within the cave. A low hum could be heard and then slowly the cave lightened, but not from any particular source. The light just appeared to permeate the area.

"Impressive," Sam murmured and looked at Glorfindel, "the source?" He just smiled and shrugged. "Now is not the time for a science lesson," Sam acknowledged and then a light suddenly went on in her eyes. "You know an awful lot about this place. Been here before perhaps," she said uneasily.

"Be content that we are on the same side," Glorfindel told her and Sam wondered what was behind the suddenly sombre eyes.

Sam joined Daniel at the wall and gazed at the markings. "Is it Ancient?" she asked him.

"Possibly, definitely very old," he added with a grin and Sam raised her eyes at the pun and walked away again. "Can we stay here tonight and move on tomorrow? Give me time to try and translate this?" Daniel asked as he was peering at the wall and then looked back at them. "Do we have time?"

"It will only take a few hours to reach the chamber. The traps will slow us down of course," Glorfindel drawled slowly sounding almost like Jack and Daniel's eyes narrowed.

"Traps?" He queried.

"Well you do not think the Gate Builders would leave their belongings unprotected do you?" Glorfindel sat on one of several conveniently placed rocks. Daniel noticed the reference to Glorfindel's people as the Gate Builders and knew he had to have heard that name from Jack. He stared at Glorfindel for a moment but was distracted by Sam.

"This is a kind of guardroom," Sam stated as she took in their surroundings.

"More of a reception room I think. They had no one to guard against back then," Glorfindel murmured. Sam shook her head, she knew she was missing something but was not sure what it was. Daniel watched her for a moment and then realised she did not know who or what Glorfindel was. He glanced at the elf and saw the slow shake of his head, he was not to tell her. Daniel went back to the wall to study it, no longer tempted to ask Glorfindel to translate what was there and make his life easier.

Mizar watched the scene between Glorfindel, Daniel and Sam intrigued. Daniel and Glorfindel both appeared to know something they were unwilling to share_. 'Not Sam though, they appeared to be hiding something from Sam, and from us!'_ he thought in surprise. _'What could Glorfindel want to keep from his own people?'_

The night outside the cave closed in and they lit a fire and settled for a few hours rest. Daniel walked up and down the wall working on his translation. After a while Glorfindel joined him and they stood in whispered conversation. Sam lay on her bedroll watching them through narrowed eyes. She was not used to Daniel being so secretive and wondered what they were discussing. She glanced over at Mizar whom she discovered was watching her and smiled as she wriggled to get comfortable. Since the day he had rescued her from the cliff face he had barely left her side. He always seemed to know what she wanted, always made her feel comfortable and safe, _'like now shut in this place. I should be nervous but I am not, just tired,'_ she thought and closed her eyes. She had never met anyone quite like him and could not understand the feelings he stirred in her. She tried to dismiss him from her mind and sleep.

Over at the wall Glorfindel was helping Daniel with the translation that explained to all who could read the wall the safe passage to the Science Library. The lesson he was receiving in the Ancient's language was not necessary. Glorfindel was breaking a prime tenet of his people but he wanted to give Daniel something that would be of value to him after he went home. After all there would be many other places in the Stargate system where this knowledge would help him. After a couple of hours Glorfindel expressed a little concern. "Daniel you need to get some rest," he finally said. "Tomorrow will be a… trying day for us. Even I will not find it easy to pass through the traps that have been activated. They are there to keep everyone out, even some of our own."

Daniel looked up in surprise totally distracted. "What do you mean?"

Glorfindel looked vaguely surprised at what he had just admitted and shrugged. "I need sleep, even if you do not," he said with a short laugh and walked back to the warmth of the fire. Daniel slowly closed his book as he stared at him and then sighed. "I am tired," he muttered as he put his books away and frowned as he watched the elf settle. "Guess I am getting paranoid," he finished shaking his head. He wandered back to the fire and settled beside Sam, glanced across at Mizar who was watching him and smiled. _'That guy is going to miss you when we leave,' _he thought as he closed his eyes and dropped into untroubled sleep in a moment. It was the last sleep he was to get for two days so it was just as well.

Glorfindel woke everyone a few hours later. It was still the early hours of the morning and dark outside the cave system but with only artificial light to see by it was of no importance to them. Glorfindel led the way through a small doorway at the back of the cave. A long corridor stretched ahead of them into darkness and a soft cool breeze whispered along it. "You feel that breeze?" he asked Sam who was stood beside him and she nodded. "The air in here is being circulated artificially which means that all systems are awake. That is not particularly good news for us. This corridor is safe at this end and runs for some distance in a downward slope. Daniel?"

"When we reach the end, according to the wall there will be three exits. We really need to take the correct one."

"And which one is that?" Sam asked them both.

"The one through which the mountain breaths," Daniel recited. "I sure hope I translated that right." A laugh from behind them rippled through the elves and Daniel grinned and relaxed. "This could be interesting," he commented raising an eyebrow at Glorfindel who smiled back and began to move down the corridor.

"This was carved out of the mountain," Sirius murmured quietly almost to himself as he ran a hand down the smooth wall.

"I agree," Mizar responded, "I wonder who carved it?"

**Life is about to get a lot more interesting for this group! Reviews always welcome.**


	25. Chapter 25

As they passed along the corridor the light seemed to grow dimmer. Glorfindel kept glancing around concern written on his face. "These lights should not be reacting to our presence," he murmured. "Unless…."

"Unless what?" Sam asked quietly.

"Unless someone else has reach here before us and the security traps are already active." Glorfindel raised a hand and stopped everyone moving forward.

"What does that mean for the directions we are following," Daniel asked worriedly.

"It means that we cannot trust them, "Glorfindel stated ominously.

Sirius touched Glorfindel's shoulder, worried by his friend's concern. "Have you studied this place in the library scrolls? How certain are you of the information."

"The information is not that specific. Both Daniel and I have studied what we have in Rivendell extensively but the warnings are clear. These people should have destroyed what was here, not buried it. It is so deadly and so simple to use. If it were activated here, Middle Earth would simply cease to exist. This is not just an ordinary library we are here to destroy; it is a museum containing the weaponry of some very violent previous ages. These peoples' power would make Sauron look like a child. I fear that for all their intelligence they were incredibly short sighted."

"With our people, especially scientists I would say for all their intelligence they can be incredibly stupid," Sam commented and Daniel grinned.

"You all do realise that Sam is a scientist," Daniel told them.

"An Astrophysicist," Sam commented with a straight face and then a dimple appear in her cheek and a sparkle in her eyes as she began to smile but it died rapidly. "I guess if we are to get this done it is time to look ahead with great care and move slowly. I hope that whoever got in first met a suitable fate here, but I also hope we do not join them." A murmur of agreement greeted her comment and they began to move slowly forward watching the walls and floors ahead for signs of danger.

Daniel walked beside Glorfindel for a while but suddenly grabbed his arm to stop him. They had travelled about a hundred yards with the lights fading and darkness appeared to be creeping toward them up the corridor. "I do not like the look of that. Why deprive us of light unless it hides something bad for us."

"Everyone move against the walls!" Sam suddenly shouted. "Lie down!"

Most obeyed her immediately, trusting her instinct for a danger they could not perceive. One elf lifted his head to look for the danger as a violent wind passed over them and something large swept up the corridor. There was very little room below it but enough for those who had led completely flat. They heard a single cry of pain shut off as suddenly as it began. Slowly they rose after it had passed and looked around. They lit a couple of their torches and flooded the area with light and found one of the walls smeared with blood. There was no sign of the elf.

"What was that?" Mizar gasped.

"I am not sure, but I felt the pressure building," Sam replied. "It was silent and the air did not try to push us over so I guessed whatever it was did not fill the corridor." She looked around and said calmly, "I could have been wrong you know. If that was the first line of defence I am dreading what will come next."

"Perhaps we should go no further," one of the elves suggested.

"Have you heard nothing Glorfindel has said," Mizar asked him. "We cannot leave until we destroy this threat." Sam gave a nod of agreement and smiled at Mizar, resting a hand on his arm. They all began to move forward again and nothing else happened for several minutes.

There was no kind of warning when the next trap was sprung. The lighting had brightened and they had unconsciously quickened their pace as they were able to see. The floor suddenly opened up under the back half of the group. The two elves at the rear disappeared into the gaping hole that ran wall to wall. The two walking in front of them also dropped but managed to grab the edge and were quickly pulled to safety. There was no sign of the bottom or the elves that had fallen in.

"At this rate none of us will make this cave," Daniel muttered his face setting in grim lines. For the next three hours the remaining group of eleven walked on in silence. Concentration on walls, floor and roof was now intense. They passed through two caverns and although they were spectacular to look at, with the large vaulted roofs, stalactites and stalagmites, no one was interested in the natural wonders. When they reached the third cavern it dwarfed the other two. Water still dripped from the roof sliding and glistened on the stalactites and creating shimmering pools on the floor. Here the light seemed more directional and threw shadows that appeared to dance and move among the formations. Daniel's attention was captured by the movements and he slowly moving away from the group as it crossed in the direction Glorfindel indicated.

"Daniel?" Sam called questioningly but did not get a response. "Glorfindel there is something wrong here," she called and Glorfindel turned in time to see Daniel crouch beside a pool and reach out.

Some instinct for danger began to scream in his head. "Daniel!" he shouted as one of the elves darted forward grabbed the collar of Daniel jacket and began hauling him away from the pool. A tall watery shape formed and rose from the pool extending a large claw like hand that made a grab for them. Daniel kicked out at it as he was being dragged clear. The liquid hit his boot and steam rose from the leather as the surface was immediately eaten away. Glorfindel ran over and dowsed the boot in water. The floor where Daniel had been crouched appeared to be steaming.

"Another trap?" Sam asked as they all stared at the pool.

"Not something I have heard of," Glorfindel said and looked at the others who all shook their heads. "This is new. A liquid creature that can dissolve anything it touches but not the ground it lies on. Definitely this is new," repeated the shaken elf.

Sam frowned and everyone backed hurriedly away from all of the pools. "That would not seem natural," she mused.

"Perhaps an invention of Sauron's that found its way down here," Mizar suggested. "Looking for somewhere to hide with its master gone?"

"I suppose that is a possibility. If it was this, these, that activated the security traps it is one less concern," Glorfindel decided and smiled for the first time in a while.

"Why?" Daniel asked as he straightened his jacket and muttered his thanks to the elf who had rescued him.

"It would mean the Goa'uld are not here."

"That is all well and good," Daniel uttered impatiently. "Will someone tell me why I went over there because I do not remember a thing. I would not call that good at all, especially if those things take to following us! They are all on the move!"

It suddenly became apparent that traps or no traps they needed to leave the cavern very quickly. There were five of the pools making definite motion toward the group. "Maybe there is a door or someway of sealing up behind us to keep them here," Sirius said as he stopped and searched the wall around the exit. It seemed like a good idea and one elf watched the approaching danger while the others searched.

"Here!" One finally shouted and Glorfindel strode over and glanced quickly at the indented patch of wall. He nodded his head almost as if he was recalling something and called the watcher away from the entrance. Then he pushed his hand through a small hole in the deep indent to reach the mechanism. A large stone door slammed into place and then they heard a large explosion that rocked the tunnel they had entered. Dust descended from the roof above them and sounds of massive rock movement behind the door told them they would not be returning that way.

"I think we had better keep moving," Sam commented after the noise died away. "How much farther have we to go?" She asked and then the light died away and they were stood in total darkness.

"Great!" The sound of annoyance was clear in Daniel's voice. "That is all we need."

"Actually that may be good for us," Glorfindel's voice wafted out of the darkness with an upbeat note in it. "It is probable all of the systems have shut down. Now we just have to conserve the light we carry. The traps are probably inactive in this area. The whole of this section will probably be safe to navigate through."

At that Sam's flashlight flickered on. "Lack of light is going to slow us down but I suggest we use only one light at a time. I have two of these and Daniel has two. Do any of you have light sources with you?" The resourceful elves had indeed all remembered to bring torches from the outer cave. "So we are doing OK for light at least and if you are right we can relax for a little while at least."

They walked on for hours in the darkness and silence trusting to Glorfindel's sense of direction and confidence. In the gloom no one could see the strain on the elf's face. Daniel however was watching him from directly behind and sensed his uncertainty. Glorfindel however was not being communicative at all. What little he was divulging to Daniel had dried up. _'It is almost as if he is waiting for something to happen,'_ Daniel decided. However the lack of light was forcing everyone to concentrate on their feet and the shadows being thrown so Daniel put his worry to the back of his mind.

Finally they stopped to rest for a while and eat and drink before they moved on. Daniel sat in the gloom looking around at his companions and counting. He did not count eleven but ten and then he counted again just to make sure and tried to work out who he could not find.. "Hey!" He called anxiously, "I only make it ten of us, Axio is missing."

"I noticed Axio was missing three hours ago, but I do not know when we lost him. He just was not there one of the elf guard commented."

"Why did you not say something?" Daniel asked angrily, "we should have looked for him."

"Because there was nothing we could do about it in the darkness. Where would we have started," the elf replied. "Glorfindel had me drop back and make sure no one else disappeared."

"If some one was picking us off you could have been the next to go," Sam commented with dismay looking at Glorfindel.

However, it was the elf who answered. "I would have made a lot of noise," he commented dryly and despite the sorrow for another lost a smattering of laughter sounded.

Daniel sat beside Glorfindel a little away from everyone else. "How many more will we lose?"

"Why do you expect me to know?" Glorfindel asked calmly. "I only know enough to complete my mission." Then he looked at Daniel with something undecipherable in his eyes. "I will be able to go home very soon and I am glad. I am very, very tired."

"Where is home?" Daniel asked him knowing he did not mean Rivendell.

"A place you may come visit me one day," he replied. His smile was pure amusement at something hidden from Daniel, then he would say no more.

After a little rest they pressed on, the loss of another of their group heightening their sense of danger once again. After some hours Sam peered at her watch and realised that they had walked through the night. Daniel was walking beside her and she whispered to him. "They never seem to get tired."

Daniel hitched his pack to ease his shoulders and replied. "But I do. It is time for another break I think…"

"I agree," Mizar commented from just behind them. "Tiredness will make us careless."

"You mean tiredness will make Daniel and I careless," Sam responded a dimple appearing in her cheek again accompanied by a laugh that echoed. "Big space we are walking through. A shame we can not see it."

"I think we are at the outer doors," Glorfindel suddenly said. "I can show you this space if you will be a little patient. I remember this place…" His voice trailed off as he made the comment. "Yes, I can remember this from before."

"Of the library?" Daniel called as he caught up with him not questioning now that the before was when he was much younger and before he had died. Quietly he added, "you did not say that your memories of before were gone or hazy."

"I did not want to worry you too much," he replied as quietly and with the touch of humour reappearing. Then he added in a normal voice. "No, I believe you would call it more of an underground city," he replied.

"How big is it?" Daniel asked allowing his voice to carry the questions to the others arriving at their spot.

"It is a massive cavern with many layers of dwellings in the walls," Glorfindel replied. "It is here where the major danger lies. We have to get in here and past the guardians."

"Can not say I like the sound of that," Daniel murmured.

"Neither do I." Sam said equally quietly from directly behind them. "What are you two not telling us?"

"This cavern is only a third of the size of the one beyond and it is safe here. I know how to activate the lighting so I can show you what we must traverse beyond these doors. The guardians however defy explanation, you will have to experience them." With that comment he reached through the wall and Sam realised they were faced with an illusion. Slowly light began to appear and spread. The darkness seemed to creep away from their feet slowly at first but with increasing speed. It finally began to rush away and light spread setting up an explosion of colour. There where so many different types of rock that appeared, so many different colours that it confused the senses. The height of the cavern was immense and in the roof so very far above twinkled lights. They looked small and did not illuminate the darkness surrounding them. In fact it looked like a wonderfully clear nights sky.

"Amazing!" Sam whispered.

Even the elves faces filled with awe. "Whoever created this place were a mighty people," Mizar whispered and then Glorfindel surprised them all.

Slowly he spun around raising his arms, his eyes glittering with laughter and perhaps a little pride. Look well on this my friends," he called looking round at the elves. "This was created by your ancestors. They chose not to stay here but to move on and leave you to what was your peaceful and natural existence then. They sealed this place off from the world thinking that one day it would be of use to you." The laughter that followed was bitter and his eyes narrowed as he added, "they left a deadly legacy which we must now destroy before it destroys Middle Earth and much more." Then he pointed at the huge doors beyond them. "Beyond is a great city and in its centre is a large building with many floors filled with the weaponry that they should have destroyed. They realised their error and sent us back to destroy it. In sending us back they made another error, they wiped our minds of who and what we had been and with it the memory of what we needed to find. Galadriel and Gandalf finally went back and they realised their error. My mind was released and I have spent recent years reacquiring the necessary knowledge. Daniel helped to complete the circle and now I must complete my mission. Will you help me to protect Middle Earth one more time?"

**Sorry this is longer than I anticipated. it has a life of its own, LOL! Reviews are welcome and have already been helpful in triggering my imagination.**


	26. Chapter 26

**Back at the Goa'uld Ship.**

Legolas checked the two elves for signs of life as he decided what he needed to do. They were both dead and it only took a moment to decide to find his two friends and ignore what he had been told to do. He glided quietly through the corridors looking for Jack and Sam but what he found confused him. The Jaffa appeared to be in chaos, all their discipline gone. He picked up a discarded Staff Weapon from the floor as he made is way through the ship. Teal'c had shown him how to use one. He unknowingly stepped into the corridor adjacent to the Control Room and came face to face with a Jaffa. This one did not seem as disoriented as the others and immediately attacked him. Legolas swung the Staff Weapon up and parried the blow. Swinging round he caught the Jaffa in the middle of the back destabilizing him and then swung back hooking his feet out from under him. He stabbed down with the butt end on the Jaffa's throat and side of the head which finished the fight.

Looking around he decided to go in the direction the enemy had come from and ran round the corridor and entered the Control Room. The sight that met his eyes filled him with fear. What reason told him was the decapitated body on the floor was the Goa'uld they had come to destroy, but both Jack and Sam were lying motionless a few feet from it. Legolas ran into the room and slid the last few feet on his knees to his friends. To his relief Sam turned his head to stare at him and then recognition came into his eyes. Sam turned his head to look at Jack and rasped through his sore throat. "He saved me from the Goa'uld."

Legolas shook Jack's shoulder and heard a moan. "This is no time to be lying down on the job Jack," he said roughly to cover his relief.

Jack came awake suddenly and tried to sit up. He grabbed his head in both hands. "That hurt," he growled and then looked at Legolas as the hands dropped. "What are you doing here Legolas you are supposed to be off the ship. Never mind, Sam can you move?" Jack staggered to his feet trying to check his watch at the same time his head was hammering. "We only have five minutes to get everyone away from here! Sam!"

The Hobbit was gamely trying to rise but his legs still would not hold him. Jack grabbed him and tried to lift him over his shoulders but staggered. "I will do that," Legolas said grabbing Sam from him and handing over the Staff Weapon.

Jack immediately dropped it and picked up the Zat as easier to carry. The act of bending over made his vision distort and he straightened slowly to stabilise it. They left the Control Room and began to beat a swift retreat through the ship to the exit. A group of Jaffa made a half hearted and belated attempt to intercept them but Jack was in no mood for a prolonged fight. The Zat spat as he ran and his head seemed to clear, no one was going to get in his way.

At the ramp Celeborn was ordering a swift retreat from the compound as they heard a sudden engine roar. Aragorn and he turned to see three Gliders take off and Aragorn cursed. "To late to worry about them now," Celeborn told him. "We need to get away from this place. Besides that is why the Tok-Ra and Teal´c are up there, to stop them."

"What about Jack, Legolas and the others?" Aragorn asked urgently. "We should…"

"No Aragorn, trust me it is not necessary. They will be running down that ramp shortly as if a Troll army was after them. We just need to stay a little closer to help them when they emerge. No one else needs to be risked."

"How can you know this," Aragorn shouted in exasperation.

"If I tell you I have been told by some one from the future of Middle Earth will you trust and do what I say."

Aragorn froze for a second and then turned to hurry his retreating men away from the compound. "I trust you Celeborn but I want a full telling when this is over," he called back over his shoulder.

"You I will tell in private but no other, there are still actions that will be taken that must not be altered," Celeborn explained cryptically as they both began to run away from the ramp.

The two leaders stopped just beyond the compound entrance and turned in time to see two figures running down the ramp toward them. One was carrying a bundle across his shoulder. Suddenly Celeborn shot forward and grabbed Sam from Legolas back. "Help Jack, he is about finished," he yelled at Aragorn and Legolas.

The two grabbed Jack's arms and pulled them across their shoulders. They supported him as the three ran as fast as was possible. An explosion behind them sent them flying to the ground. "Do not get up!" Jack called as the hammering in his head returned with a vengeance. "That was the first…" A huge triple blast sounded as the ship came apart. Debris flew in all directions including over their heads. Raising his head briefly Jack saw some of the debris cut a swathe into Mirkwood. A shockwave hit almost immediately lifting jack from the ground and sending him flying several yards before releasing its hold. Slowly elves and men began to rise and turn to survey the damage but Jack did not move.

Aragorn turned him over and surveyed the blood oozing from a head wound. "He will be fine it is just a flesh wound." Celeborn told him. "He will want to head for the mountains to find his friends soon."

"Why," Aragorn asked with a sigh.

"Because he will not be able to contact them and will be concerned for their safety." Legolas looked up puzzled and Aragorn realised that even the elves did not know what Celeborn knew. It made him feel slightly better about being kept in the dark to know he was not the only one.

Jack groaned. Aragorn and Legolas both reached for him as the groan became intelligible words. "I am getting to old for this game." Legolas could not refrain from smiling despite how pale he looked. "Sam!" Jack suddenly exclaimed and tried to sit up.

"I am here Jack and alive thanks to you," Sam told him rubbing his head and neck. He did not know which hurt more.

"Of course you are Sam," Jack retorted with a wry grin. "Nobody can kill you little buddy." Sam gave him and then Celeborn a curious look that Legolas caught and frowned. "We had better scour the area for any Jaffa that may have survived. The Goa'uld is very dead," Jack told them as he got to his feet. He looked at the blood on his hand and poked gingerly at the wound. "Messy," was his only comment as he turned back toward the wreckage of the ship. "I wonder how Carter and Daniel are doing. Where has my radio gotten too?"

"Are you going to call Sam and Daniel," Legolas asked.

"Would not be much point at the moment. Glorfindel has taken them under the Grey Mountains and there will be too much interference for contact. The first we will hear is when they emerge," Jack explained.

"When is that likely to be?" Aragorn asked as he stood beside them surveying the devastation.

"According to Glorfindel, another day at least. When everything is secured here we could go and look for them if they have not called in. Carter is a very capable soldier and I am sure Glorfindel's warrior status is not in question," Jack commented.

Suddenly Jack turned and began running towards a grouping of rocks a hundred yards away. Surprised the others followed him as they had seen nothing, but did not doubt that he had.


	27. Chapter 27

Jack suddenly began running towards a grouping of rocks a hundred yards away from the wrecked Goa'uld ship. Surprised the others followed him although they had seen nothing it did not cross their minds to doubt that he had. Aragorn let out a yell that brought his men running from every direction and converging on their running group. Legolas caught up with Jack easily and kept pace with him asking no questions.

As they closed with the rock formation Staff Weapon fire erupted around their feet sending everyone diving for any cover they could find. Not Jackthough he kept running only he began weaving unpredictably from side to side. Legolas copied him but took a different course and the Jaffa in the rocks could not make up his mind who to aim at first. The Elf moved faster but the man carried a weapon and he had begun firing on the run.

Suddenly the fire erupting around Jack increased as a second Jaffa appeared and joined the first in a desperate attempt to stop them long enough to get away. This forced Jack to take a rolling dive to his left and aim from the ground. Both Jaffa concentrated on him and one shot clipped his arm causing Jack to roll again away from the zone of fire with a yell to negate the burning pain. Then Legolas cleared the rocks and landed between them and they discovered how deadly an elf could be at close range. Jack rose up and ran the last few yards swerving round the rocks to skid to a halt. Two very dead Jaffa lay at Legolas feet. The elf was still bent over one of them and raised his head to look at Jack and raised an eyebrow. Slowly he straightened up and Jack grinned at him and shook his head. "You are actually enjoying yourself," he said with a grin.

"So are you," Legolas retorted and Jack laughed as he pushed the zat into his belt. He was checking the graze on his arm as Aragorn and Celeborn arrived.

They looked at the dead at Legolas feet and Aragorn raised his eyes to their faces, "you are both crazy do you realise that?"

Jack's eyes twinkled as he took his radio out to contact Teal'c. "Teal'c! How is it going up there?"

"We are in pursuit of two Gliders trying to leave the system O'Neill," Teal'c responded after a moment. "The Tel-tak managed to destroy one as it left the atmosphere. Our odds are now even."

Jack smiled at Teal'c's useof am Earth saying hehad picked up. "Do not let them escape," he told him. "How is Gimli doing?"

"I am a bird that spits fire," Jack heard Gimli call and realised that he was enjoying himself immensely.

"WE will do just fine Jack. Stop worrying about us. Two Gliders are no match for Teal'c and I," Jacobs's voice was slightly distorted and echoed. "When we are done we will be back. Do not let anything else take off."

Jack eyed the wreckage in the compound and smirked. "Like that is going to happen." He put the radio away as he noticed Aragorn watching him. "Handy little gadgets."

Aragorn's lips twitched with amusement but the only commented he made was, "do you take anything seriously?"

"Sometimes," Jack replied, "but not usually when we have the field." The group then began organizing the search for anyone who might have escaped. Jack looked toward Mirkwood and then stared in amazement. The whole of the edge of the wood seemed to be on the move and the sound of distant screams of terror could be heard. He Looked at Legolas wordlessly and could not refrain from a shudder as he realised that no one would be bothering to search the woodland for Jaffa. In fact at that moment it would probably have been highly dangerous with the Ents on the rampage.

A few hours later darkness fell and various camps were setup across the landscape. Jack stood staring at the dark shapes of the mountains. Fires still burned in the compound and ship wreckage at their feet. There had been no attempt to dowse the cleansing flames. It seemed that for Middle Earth the more that turned to ash the better its people liked it.

He was wondering how Sam and Daniel were faring with Glorfindel. He was a conundrum if there ever was one; Jack had a really uneasy feeling about him. Not because of what he had not been told, Glorfindel had been upfront about that. It was because Jack sensed he was so tired and yet so ready for this battle. Jack suddenly realised what was bothering him and cursed. A soft footfall behind him made him spin round to find Celeborn stood watching. "How long have you been there?"

"Long enough to know that you have just realised you will not be seeing Glorfindel again."

"Why, why is he going to…?" Jack asked gruffly.

"Because it is the only way to make everything right. Be content that he will not die, he will just no longer be in Middle Earth."

"Will you see him again?" Jack asked the Elfin Lord.

"See… See is a strange word related to us," Celeborn commented his eyes losing focus for a moment. "I suppose yes would be the answer in your terms. I will be seeing him again very soon. Be content to know that this is why we are still here. We were waiting for you and your team and for the time to be exactly right. This way we were assured of success."

"I do not understand why you did not just go and destroy this thing yourselves. This knowledge and weapon they are that deadly?" Jack asked doubtfully for him. He liked Glorfindel and in Jack's eyes he was going to die never mind about the mumbo jumbo of beliefs, he could not think of it any other way. He needed to be sure it was really necessary.

"Be assured the knowledge should never have been sought and the weapon should not have been made. It was unforgivable." Celeborn looked at him with sadness as he added. "For myself I am sorry we have not had more time together. You have been an interesting ally."

"Then you will leave here as well?"

"Not until after you and all of your team have returned home. Then I will go to the Havens as many before me and I will leave this planet for the last time. It is time for me to join Galadriel. It will be good to go at last." Celeborn began to walk away and called over his shoulder. "The fires are set for the night and there is food. It is time to rest; tomorrow will be a hard day."

Jack watched the strange elf walk away and sat on a pile of rocks and gazed across the devastated landscape. He knew Earth would get very little out of this mission. It seemed the idea of a haven for survivors that was unknown to the Goa'uld would be the only thing on offer. The presence of Ancient technology and possible Ancients themselves had already gone unreported. He knew what would happen if he did report it, they would pull this place apart looking for more and to hell with the local population. It made no difference how he looked at it, there was no way they would be reporting what they had found in Middle Earth. Damn it! he liked these people to much. Jacob and Martouf he knew would not tell Earth and would have no interest in telling anyone else. In this he even trusted Martouf. Finally his mind was recalled to his present problems and surroundings as the sounds of the returning Glider and Tel-tak reached him. He sauntered toward the landing area to check on how his friends had done.

The sound of rolling thunder woke Jack the next morning. He thought little of it until he noticed all the elves slowly rising and looking toward the Grey Mountains. Legolas ran over and knelt beside him as he sat up. "Storm coming?" Jack asked.

"No that was not thunder. It came from within the Mountains. I think Daniel and Glorfindel have found what they sought," Legolas replied. "Look at the sky, it turns blood red! Something massive is moving."

"Hey! Celeborn!" Jack yelled. "Where you expecting this?"

Celeborn stared toward the Mountains and shook his head. "That is just the beginning. The Guardians are awake."


	28. Chapter 28

**Back in the mountains Daniel, Sam and the elves follow Glorfindel.**

"What did he mean, one more time?" Sam whispered to Daniel as they watched Glorfindel studying the huge doorway.

"Figure of speech," Daniel whispered back without looking directly at Sam.

"Do not give me that bull Daniel! What is going on here that you are not telling me!" she hissed back at him.

Daniel shrugged helplessly. Jack had been explicit about the Ancient information; he was not to tell Sam anything. He did not understand why but realised that Jack had been deadly serious when he told him what he needed to do. For some reason telling Sam what they knew could undo everything disastrously. When he thought about it, having Sam annoyed at him was a lot less frightening than having Jack after his blood.

He quickly stepped up to the door beside Glorfindel and away from a confrontation. "How difficult can it be to open the doors?" Daniel asked him.

"Not difficult at all. I am just wondering if there is a way to open them without waking the Guardians."

"What are these Guardians?" Daniel asked as he studied the huge ornate double doors.

"They were created from pure energy and they are programmed for one thing only," the Elf told him.

"What is that?" Daniel asked uneasily.

"To prevent anyone but one of the Valar from entering here," Glorfindel explained as his eyes glittered with an unnatural luminescence.

"Are you one of the Valar?"

"Now that would make it so much easier would it not? No, they are no longer interested in corporeal matters. To them this danger is no longer their concern. Some of us definitely did not agree."

"You know sometimes the things you say do not make a lot of sense," Daniel grumbled at him and he smiled the light disappearing from his eyes.

"You will understand only too well one day Daniel, it is one of your possible destinies. The one I hope you follow. Now shake off that puzzled look on your face and concentrate on the here and now. We need to open these doors quietly."

"Are they powered or mechanical Glorfindel. If powered they are probably alarmed and we stand little chance… although Sam is pretty good at producing miracles," Daniel commented as an afterthought.

"What miracle are you after," a voice asked from behind them and they turned to find Mizar. In turn he looked back across the cave and called. "Sam, they need a miracle over here."

Sam stomped across the cave floor and scowled at Daniel. "What!" she snapped at them and Daniel wondered briefly if he would rather face Jack and tell Sam about the Ancients. The two elves eyes met and amusement lit them. Mizar turned away from her under the guise of calling the remainder of their group together. Sam looked at him and her eyes narrowed for a moment and then she grinned and looked back at the object of her displeasure.

"The door is powered and Daniel thinks it may be alarmed. We wondered if you had any ideas about opening it without setting off an alarm." Glorfindel explained when Daniel did not speak.

"Where is the mechanism, do you know?" Sam asked. Glorfindel took her to one side and showed her a hidden panel which he opened. Sam looked inside and recognised the basic design of the controls. "This looks like the insides of the DHD," she commented eyeing Glorfindel suspiciously.

"What is a DHD?" The response was said innocently and Sam could not make up her mind if it was sincere. She put down her pack and gun and went to work. It took her a couple of hours to work it out and everyone sat about talking quietly. Mizar settled beside her and watched her work. Every now and again he would offer her a tool which she invariably needed. At one point she stretched trying to ease a stiffened muscle in her neck. Mizar massaged her shoulders and she smiled in gratitude leaning on him for support. Mizar smiled and whispered something. She looked across at Daniel and then grinned back at him and leaned forward to continue working.

"They seem to be getting on well," Glorfindel commented and Daniel looked troubled. "Is something bothering you?"

"We do not know exactly what is going to happen here do we? We have already lost people… I am just worried for Sam I guess," Daniel finally got out and Glorfindel nodded.

"Do not worry unduly, I do know that all your friends will be going back through the Stargate with you," Glorfindel said quietly. Then they both saw Sam waive at them and went to see what she wanted.

"I think I have it so I would suggest everyone prepares in whatever way you think necessary before I open it. No surprises and if all is quiet we will want to remain so ourselves when we follow you in." Glorfindel nodded and gathered the elves to explain what they needed to do.

Sam watched as everyone prepared their weaponry and piled up torches and unnecessary equipment to one side. They were taking nothing but weapons and explosives into the city. Her eyes followed Mizar as he prepared for the last part of this mission. He sat with his brother Sirius concentrating on the preparations but he felt her eyes on him and looked up. He smiled reassuringly at her and she responded despite her concerns. She picked up her P90 and checked it yet again even though she would only use it as a last resort, it was way too noisy. Finally everyone gathered by the door and Glorfindel turned and nodded to her. Sam took a deep breath and threw the switch she had set up. The doors swung open silently, no lights, no sound, which she took as a good sign. She grabbed her weapon and joined the group as they followed Glorfindel into the city. The doors swung closed silently behind them and everyone stared hard into the darkness. They were uncertain of what they expected but the eerie dark silence was unnerving. "Would a little light be a no no?" Daniel whispered.

"A little light to see by will be forthcoming in a few moments. The city was never completely closed down," Glorfindel whispered back and it will lighten with the dawn outside." As he spoke the darkness seemed to lift a little and a predawn light seemed to spread across the massive cavern.

If the previous caves had been awesome, this one defied description. It appeared that the whole of the mountain had been hollowed out and sky scrapers had been stacked along the inner walls. The floor of the cavern was laid out in streets and squares which Glorfindel led them through quickly toward a tall central building. The building was tastefully covered in beautiful carvings that had not deteriorated with time. In fact none of the buildings showed any sign of age. Sam wished they had more time to study this city but her gut was churning and she sensed time was running out for them.

"Let's get this done as quickly as possible." She murmured quietly as she entered the building. Daniel rapidly descended into a bemused state as they climbed through the floors. It was the biggest museum he had ever been in and not all the exhibits were weapons. He stopped at one large glass case and stared at the small object contained within it. "Daniel, we do not have time for that," Sam snapped causing Mizar to turn to see what the problem was.

He gazed into the case and a puzzled look appeared in his eyes. "What is it Daniel?"

"A piece of Earth history," Daniel murmured. "It looks Mayan." Glorfindel left what he was doing and came over and felt around the casing. Suddenly something clicked and the front swung open. He lifted the object out the shoved it into Daniel's hands. "We have things to do Daniel. Put it away and help!"

Then everyone began their assigned tasks rapidly setting up explosives. Meanwhile Daniel and Glorfindel went to the floor containing the one item that they had to be sure was destroyed. The room appeared empty at first but Daniel followed Glorfindel to the centre of the room. A beam of light came from the ceiling and a cabinet seemed to appear out of nowhere. Glorfindel opened the front and they were faced with a very large but innocuous looking crystal sat in the centre of some very delicate wiring. "Is that it?" Daniel asked looking disappointed and sceptical. Suddenly, before Daniel's eyes Glorfindel seemed to glow and change. The crystal also began to glow as it resonated with Glorfindel's energy.

"Hey! Take it easy. I was only asking!" Daniel uttered hastily. "No need to demonstrate."

Glorfindel laughed quietly. "It is alright Daniel I was just setting up a resonance field to contain it when the explosion happens. We do not want it to bring the mountain down around us."

"OooK. That is alright then," Daniel muttered as he found his arm grabbed and pulled back out of the room.

"What is wrong?" Daniel asked looking back over his shoulder. He noticed the glow from the cabinet was increasing.

"The radiation will increase exponentially and then go critical, hopefully at the same time as the explosives go off."

"What happens if you get the timing wrong?" Daniel asked as he hurriedly followed the Elf down through the floors.

"I have not got it wrong, but if I had the chain reaction would destroy this mountain and crawl outward swallowing Middle Earth in one prolonged conversion."

"You mean like a black hole?" Daniel asked as they re-entered the room where the charges were being laid.

"What black hole?" Sam asked. "We are all finished here. It will go up in exactly," she looked at her watch. "Thirteen and a half minutes. We should get out of here."

"Yes and as far through the city as possible before it goes. Once it goes off the Devil will be on our tails." Glorfindel spoke as he hurried everyone out of the main doors. Then they all began to run, forgetting about stealth in favour of distance.

Suddenly Sam caught a movement out of the corner of her eye and turned her head. Speeding toward her through the air was a large pulsing light. _'It looks angry,'_ she thought as she shouted. "Incoming!"

Glorfindel stopped and turned to face it. What his intention was Sam never knew as Mizar saw her danger and pushed her aside. The energy being ploughed into him taking him into the air and throwing him against the side of the nearest building. Then Glorfindel was there glowing almost as brightly as the attacker. A bright light flashed and the attacker disintegrated and Glorfindel collapsed to his knee totally drained. Daniel went to his aid and Sam ran to Mizar with Sirius. He was motionless and not breathing. Sam started CPR and after a moment he drew breath and began to move weakly.

A large explosion behind them sent a ball of flames up through the mountain and blew out the roof of the cavern. Large chunks of rock rained down all around them as they took cover were they could in doorways. Sam and Sirius carried Mizar to relative safety as Daniel and another elf helped with Glorfindel. Daniel turned to look out as a large chunk smashed into the building opposite burying the two elves sheltering in its archway. Another chunk landed close and shattered sending shards of rock into their refuge. Daniel felt one cut into his shoulder and another caught Glorfindel in the leg. The elf with them caught a chunk in his neck and began to bleed profusely. Daniel applied pressure and tried to stem the flow of blood.

The crashing died away and they all looked out to see a huge fire raging at the centre of the city. The flames were rising for hundreds of feet and the heat was beginning to reach them. Everyone made for the exit carrying the injured were necessary. They reached the doorway on the far side of the city as an eerie rushing sound reached them, the noise increasing rapidly.

"The other two guardians come," Glorfindel called. Then he looked at Daniel, "I need to fight but two at once may be more than I can handle. The first one has already weakened me."

"What can we do to help?" Daniel asked, "there must be something."

Glorfindel looked at him for a second. "There is, but you will not remember when the battle is over."

"Fine. What do I do?" Daniel replied and Glorfindel grasped his arm and both man and elf suddenly turned into a large bright light that lifted away from the others and hovered protectively in front of them.

"Where is Daniel," Sam suddenly asked. She had not thought about him since Mizar had been injured and had not seen him reach the doorway.

One of the elves looked stunned but replied, "he is with Glorfindel.


	29. Chapter 29

"What do you mean, with Glorfindel?" Sam demanded as she turned to look at two more bright energy sources streaking toward them across the massive cavern. It was then that she noticed a third hovering a few feet away from them. "Mizar, can you move. We need to move now! Mizar!"

The badly injured elf tried to roll onto his knees and Sirius and Sam helped him rise. The few remaining members of the group headed through the doorway and away from the building heat and the hostile energy beings. The passageway split in two within a few feet of the doorway and Sam stopped with Mizar in the one immediately left while the others checked the right hand fork. They had no idea which one to take. Behind them a sudden blinding light began to dance and a high pitched sound ululated from within the city. Sam and Mizar moved further up the passage and away from the high energy battle that had erupted. A blinding bolt of energy struck the roof of near them. Mizar and Sam threw themselves further up the passage as the roof began to cave in. Sirius and the others ran back, but when the rumble of moving rock had died down the entrance to the left hand passageway was completely blocked.

Meanwhile outside the mountain Jacob and Martouf were rushing to the Tel-Tak with Jack, Teal'c and Legolas at their heels. Sam Gamgee and Gimli rushed after the group moments later as they realised they were leaving and made it to the ship as Jack was closing the hatch. He let them on board and slammed it shut.

Celeborn and Aragorn were discussing how to handle the remaining search with Thranduil and stopped to watch the ship take off. "Should we have gone with them?" Aragorn asked. "I know your tale but what if it is are wrong?"

"We can not help our friends Aragorn, this they must do alone. These Jaffa however are another problem," Celeborn commented bringing their conversation back to their own task. "There will be a battle by the Stargate and the intruders will be desperate. We are going to lose many men there. The more we can stop before they reach their only way out of Middle Earth, the fewer who will die. Break camp quickly, we must be on the move as swiftly as possible." The others nodded agreement and began sending men ahead to chase the escaping Jaffa.

The Tel-Tak sped towards the burning mountain looking for signs of life or a way into it. Jacob sat silently at the controls his face grim as he worried about his daughter. "I hope that light does not mean a volcano is erupting where we sent Sam," he muttered more to himself than anyone on board.

"I trusted Glorfindel not to walk into a death trap," Jack growled in frustration. "That looks a lot bigger blast than any of us expected. Martouf have you found anything? Teal'c?"

Both men shook their heads without taking their eyes off the instruments as they searched for signs of their friends.

"There is very little ash in the air," Jacob commented as he flew the ship low along the valley leading to the mountain. "That has to be a good sign that we are not faced with a volcanic eruption."

"I would be happier with life signs," Jack responded as Legolas leaned over his shoulder staring out of the window, suddenly his hand tightened on Jack's shoulder. "What… What is it Legolas?"

"Down there," he pointed as he concentrated. "I see movement just below that ridge. Do you see it?"

Jack squinted leaning forward. "Legolas is longsighted," Gimli called from the back of the cockpit. "He sees where many do not."

"Put the ship down Jacob just below that ridge," Jack ordered.

"I am already descending," Jacob snapped back proving his words by the sudden and bumpy landing. Everyone was out of their seats and at the hatch before the engine had shut down. They quickly climbed to the ridge where the movement had been seen and could see an opening in the rock.

"Help! Over here!"

They all heard the shout and scrambled over the loose rock toward the voice. At the entrance to the cave system they found an injured elf. Jacob quickly put on his healing device and ran it over unconscious elf. He nodded once and glanced at Jack. "I can heal this, it will not take long. Do not interrupt my concentration, even if he wakes. The jewel in the devise glowed and pulsed as Jacob healed the leg and abdominal injuries.

The elf came awake with a start and pushed the hand away luckily as Jacob was finishing his task. "No time!" He desperately scrambled to his feet. "Mizar and Sam are buried in a tunnel and Glorfindel and Daniel fight the Guardians. You must help them."

"Where are they? Show us," Jacob snapped before Jack could respond and the elf turned to stride back into the cave and then stumbled.

"Take it easy fella," Jack responded patiently for him. "We need you to show us where to go. You will be no good to anyone if you overstretch yourself."

"Jack is right. You had extensive injuries you body is still in shock," Jacob explained and took his arm. "How long did it take you to get to this exit?"

The elf looked at Jacob and Jack for a moment. "Ten maybe fifteen minutes only. I came because the others were digging and I could not help."

"Good man," Jack responded encouragingly. A rumble came like a wave and washed over them and every ones attention went in the direction from which the sound travelled. "Follow slowly at your own pace. I do not think we will have trouble finding the fight." The elf nodded and sat down to recover his balance properly. Everyone began running and found as the light from the entrance faded a red glow showed them the way.

Sam woke to a faint light from a crack in the roof of the passage. The light glowed red from the fire in the city and the air around her was warm. She became conscious of being held tightly and raised her head level with Mizar's. "How are you doing?" she asked him.

"Much better now you are awake," he responded and hugged her tighter. "I thought I had lost you," he whispered into her hair.

"I am not that easy to lose," Sam responded with a chuckle despite their predicament and Mizar laughed and took hold of her chin.

"You are an amazing woman Samantha Carter," He told her and planted a kiss on her nose.

Sam stared up into the beautiful almond shaped eyes and felt her heart pound in response to his show of affection. She raised herself up a little and kissed him back and he responded enthusiastically. When he finally let her go she settled against him and looked around carefully at their little prison. The rock had fallen in sections along the tunnel and they could neither go back out nor retreat up the tunnel. Both ends appeared to be blocked. They both looked upward at the channel of light with doubt. A fire raged beyond that cracked roof and the heat could be making the rock even more unstable.

"They will dig us out of here," Mizar told her.

Sam looked at him a little grimly. "They do not even know if we are alive."

"That will not stop them looking for us," Mizar responded, "as long as they defeat the Guardians."

Sam nodded. "We could attempt to move some of this rock ourselves. It will give us something to do."

Jack's party arrived at the smaller city entrance in time to see the energy cascading from the walls of the caved in cavern. "What the H…!" Jack shouted above the shrieking sounds emanating from above the city. The group ducked for cover as a bright ball of light suddenly flew across the city and landed in the vast raging fire. A blue flash snuffed the blaze out at its centre and the energy dissipated. As masses of smoke rose towards the opening in the cavern roof a loud wailing ensued which was cut off as a second ball of energy disintegrated. The energy rebounded in streams of light from the walls. One final ball of energy remained hovering above the centre of the city for a moment and then slowly it glided towards them. As it came nearer the light began to diminish and die away. As it touched the floor a few yards from them the light faded completely leaving Daniel lying in a heap on the floor with Glorfindel stood over him.

The elf looked at Jack as he rushed towards him and smiled. "Daniel is fine, just a little drained and will recover shortly. Sam and Mizar are still alive also and we need to dig them out quickly."

Jack crouched down and checked Daniel's pulse which was strong and even and rose. "Do you have to be so dramatic about everything? I could managed things just disappearing quietly just fine," he drawled and turned back to see that the others had joined the surviving elves in moving fallen rock from the passage entrance. They picked Daniel up between them and carried him to where the work was being carried out. As they began to haul rock themselves the elf from the entrance returned and joined in. It took them a good hour to remove sufficient rock to produce a hole large enough for the trapped couple to crawl through.

Jack looked at a rather dust caked Sam and grinned in relief. "Think it is time to get out of here."

"Yes Sir," She replied and returned the grin.

They placed the still unconscious Daniel on a quickly made stretcher and began to walk away from the city when Sam noticed Mizar and Glorfindel were not following and stopped. "Come on, its time to see the sun again," she called but then she saw Mizar sink to his knees and ran back. Everyone stopped and began to walk back wondering what was wrong now. Mizar lay on his back and Glorfindel took hold of his head and Mizar opened his eyes. Sam knelt beside him concern on her face. "Mizar we need to get you medical aid. We will carry you," she finished.

"No," he responded and reached up to stroke her face. "I am sorry Sam but I can not come with you. I am still here because that being left a little of itself in me, but it is fading. I can not sustain this life."

Tears began to trickle down Sam's face. "My father can…"

"No. I do not want him to try. I am to go with Glorfindel now and I will be fine. I can not stay here, I must… Let you go. You must let me go." He began to cough and a little blood trickled from his mouth as he deteriorated rapidly.

"Mizar…" Sam whispered.

"If he comes with me he will not lose his life," Glorfindel told her. "If he stays nothing will save him, not even the healing device."

"Where are you going Glorfindel?" Jack asked.

"Somewhere that you can not follow us," Glorfindel replied as he began to glow again.

The glow spread to the now still figure of Mizar and Jack heard a sob beside him and found Sirius watching his brother vanish before his eyes. Sam stood up and stepped away as the energy brightened and lifted. They all heard an echoing, "Goodbye." The light suddenly shot up through the opening in the cavern roof and vanished. Sam stood frozen to the spot and did not react. Jack put a hand on his shoulder but she pulled away without looking at anyone. She picked up her belongings and walked silently out of the cavern just as Daniel came too.

Daniel opened his eyes and looked around confused. "What happened?"

Jack sighed but leaned down and pulled him to his feet. "It's a long story. At least we do not have to carry you."

"Where is Glorfindel?" Daniel asked then looked around. "Where is….?"

"Daniel." Jack broke in somewhat tiredly. "Just let it go for the moment. Later."

With that they all silently followed Sam back toward the Tel-Tak.

**Epilogue**

The Stargate had stood silent and unused on Middle Earth for countless years. Ivy had even clambered its way up and around the circle possibly by managing to cling to the symbols. At the bottom of the steps a small old figure stood studying it. His grey curly hair blew in the gentle breeze and flicked into his eyes enough for him to push it out of the way in mild annoyance. The stooped figure hobbled to the controls and stood for a moment studying them and then lifting his pack onto a shoulder he began to dial in the co-ordinates he wanted.

The Stargate began to rotate to its combination signs and tore the ivy to shreds letting it fall to the ground around its base. A gout of energy poured from the centre with a noise made even louder by the silence around it. The little figure jumped in surprise at the sight and noise as it had been many years since he had seen it in action. He looked at the energy twisting in the centre of the Stargate and knew there was something different, wrong about it but he just sighed and hobbled up the steps. He paused on the brink as if changing his mind, but there was no point to worrying,_ 'I only have a few more weeks to live. What does it matter?'_ With that thought he resolutely stepped into the energy to be whisked away through space and time.

It was a cold Egyptian night at the dig site and everyone was huddled up in their beds and asleep except for one lone figure. He was studying their new find from several feet away trying to guess its purpose. He quietly smoked his pipe as he stood there in the dark and wondered why he was in Egypt when he knew he would soon be taking arms for his country's protection. He shook his head at the stupidity that he knew would soon plunge the world into chaos. Suddenly the object of his study began to move, he could hear it revolving like some giant combination lock. A deep seated superstition made him back further away and it took him beyond harms way. The energy that spouted from its centre made him drop his pipe and his eyes widened in shock. He stared at the shimmering surface that reminded him of water and as he did so a small figure emerged tripping on the rim. The figure sprawled on the ground in front of the circle as the energy died away.

The strange little man struggled to his feet and seemed ordinary somehow and certainly not a threat, so the observer stood and waited as the newcomer hobbled towards him. Finally he looked up into his face and smiled. "Hello, I guess you must be the Mister Tolkien I am looking for. My name is Sam Gamgee and I have something very important to tell you. I only have a few hours and then I must go back. Where can we talk?" Tolkien stood dumbfounded for a moment and then pointed across the dig to his small tent and Sam hobbled towards it. He followed slowly wondering when it was he had gone to bed and why he could not remember doing it.

Two hours later Sam and his new friend left the tent and walked back to the Stargate so that he could dial home. The DHD that disappeared only a month later stood to one side of the Stargate covered in sand but it was still operational. The last Tolkien saw of the little man was Sam disappearing back through the Stargate's energy field, then the field died and he walked away. He never told anyone what the device was or could do. He did not believe the human race was ready for that kind of knowledge.

Another wave of ionic energy from the Sun caused a second surge. Sam was thrust back through time another hundred years into the past. When he emerged he sat down beside the Stargate and ate lunch. He knew he had a long way to walk to reach Rivendell and Elrond. Clever Elrond who had never let on that he and Sam Gamgee had met before. Well now it was his turn to play the game.

THE END

**I would really like reviews now this story has come to an end. Hope that you enjoyed it.**


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